Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The residence of Qian Qianyi in the capital city.

After Cheng Jiming established himself as independent and the Donglin Party split, his disciples and followers began to celebrate.

Many people believe that the Donglin Party has split and is no longer a threat.

Their practical school of thought will break free from the suppression of the Donglin Party and become a major force in the imperial court.

However, Qian Qianyi knew that this matter was not simple. He was deeply unhappy and frustrated about it.
"I thought Cheng Jiming would hesitate for a while, and the eunuch faction would also stir up trouble."

"I didn't expect him to be so decisive. Han Kuang is so patient."

"I really underestimated this man. He truly deserves to be called the reinstated chief minister."

They greatly admired Cheng Jiming's decisiveness and Han Kuang's composure in the face of the Donglin Party's split.

If it were him, he wouldn't make a decision so quickly. He wouldn't stand idly by and watch his subordinates leave to start their own factions.

Now, Han Kuang, as the Grand Secretary, calmly watches the Donglin Party split. This makes him think that Han Kuang truly deserves his title as Grand Secretary; he has the magnanimity to tolerate anything.

Upon hearing these words, Qu Shisi felt that his teacher still had some of the naiveté of a scholar.

Is it really that hard to choose a path to success? Anyone with a brain knows they should become a Grand Scholar.

Worrying about one's reputation is something only scholars consider. If someone thinks like that in officialdom, they're bound to stumble later.

As for Han Kuang, needless to say, this chief minister was far from being able to tolerate it; he was clearly subdued by the emperor.

If it were during the Tianqi era, Han Kuang would definitely have made a fuss about retiring and expressing his stance to the court and the public.

The reason he doesn't dare to cause trouble now is because he knows that if he does, the emperor will approve it. Yang Jingchen, Wen Tiren, and others will be eager to take over his power.

The example of Liu Yizhu has made many ministers hesitant to casually mention retirement. This is because the current emperor truly takes retirement grounds seriously and will not give retired officials the opportunity to return to court.

The reason why there has been no chaos in the court in recent years is that, apart from the fact that the eunuch faction has been dealt a blow and the Donglin Party has just been revived, it is because the emperor has tried his best to suppress factional strife and excluded people who are good at factional strife, such as Liu Yizhu and Cao Yubian, from the court.

Han Kuang didn't want the emperor to think he was also skilled in factional struggles, so faced with the emperor's suppression, he could only do nothing and watch the Donglin faction split apart.

But this might not necessarily be a bad thing for Han Kuang, Qu Shisi said:

"It's hard to say what the future holds regarding the split within the Donglin Party."

"But in the short term, it will definitely be beneficial to Prime Minister Han."

“After Cheng Jiming severed ties with the Donglin Party, he no longer needed to worry about his associates avoiding him.”

"There are also Li Banghua and Zheng Sanjun, who are also candidates for the Nine Ministers."

"The number of people vying for the Nine Ministers position will increase in August, and there may be a few more people who used to belong to the Donglin faction."

Qian Qianyi nodded in agreement:
"His Majesty has been somewhat negligent in governing since the Liaodong campaign. Since Han Kuang has been retained, he will naturally be given more power."

"Previously, the Donglin Party had no more than two ministers, but after the Donglin Party split, this restriction was lifted."

"It has become even more difficult for me to compete for the position of Minister of Rites!"

This was something he hadn't anticipated; it was like shooting himself in the foot.

Li Banghua, Zheng Sanjun, and even Li Ruoxing, Sun Shenxing, Sun Juxiang, Li Sunchen... if it weren't for the emperor's suppression, these people would have been qualified to serve as ministers long ago.

Now that the emperor's control is gone, they have joined the competition, making the struggle for the position of the Nine Ministers even more intense.

Qian Qianyi pondered the situation and said:

"Although the Emperor is somewhat lazy, the Minister of Personnel will definitely catch him. He will either keep Guo Yunhou in office or replace him with a loyal and capable member of the Emperor's faction. This position is not one we can covet."

“Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan has received the praise of ‘jointly planning for the future’. As long as he doesn’t make any mistakes in the future, he will at least be granted the title of Earl. His position will only rise and not fall, and he will most likely be reappointed.”

"Minister of War Xue Fengxiang is confirmed to retire; the Emperor no longer needs to keep him around for show."

"The same goes for Wang Yongguang, the Minister of Justice. The Emperor doesn't need mediocre old ministers."

"Shang Zhouzuo, the Minister of Works, may be promoted or he may remain in his post."

"Wang Zaijin, the Left Censor-in-Chief, is confirmed to have retired, while He Ruchong, the Right Censor-in-Chief, is a refined person who does not contend with others."

"The Grand Secretary of the Supreme Court... The Grand Secretary of the Supreme Court..."

At this point, Qian Qianyi paused for a moment, because the position of the head of the Supreme Court was currently vacant.

If he wants to compete for it, he has a very good chance of getting the position.

After all, among the Five Courts and Six Ministries, the Supreme Court arguably had the least power. Among the Nine Ministers, it was only higher than the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, making it the easiest to win over.

However, precisely because of this, Qian Qianyi was somewhat unwilling to serve as the head of the Supreme Court.

He believed that with his abilities and achievements, he should be given a more important position.

His most suitable position was Minister of Rites, making him the top candidate for Assistant Grand Secretary.
-
While discussing the political situation at court with Qu Shisi, Qian Qianyi suddenly heard a report from the gatekeeper that Fang Hongzan, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had come to visit and hoped that he could receive him.

Qian Qianyi and Fang Hongzan had no connection whatsoever, and he had no idea what Fang Hongzan's purpose was in coming to visit him. However, he dared not neglect the high-ranking officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and hurriedly led his students out to greet them.

Fang Hongzan saw the group of students beside Qian Qianyi and forced a smile, saying:
"Mr. Qian truly deserves to be called a master of scholarship; he is still lecturing now."

"However, I've come today with a private matter. I'd like to ask Mr. Qian to find a quiet place to discuss it." Qian Qianyi was puzzled, but seeing Fang Hongzan's smiling face, he figured it wasn't anything bad and smiled back, saying:

"Is there something confidential? I'd like to trouble Commander Fang to come over."

"I'll arrange a tea room right away, let's go and have some tea."

Fang Hongzan's tone turned somewhat cold as he refused:
"No need!"

"Just say a few words and leave."

"No need to waste time."

He urged Qian Qianyi to arrange a place so that they could not discuss it in public.

Qian Qianyi then realized something was wrong and led Fang Hongzan into the study.

Fang Hongzan scanned the study to make sure no one was there before speaking:
"Mr. Qian is a high-ranking official in the imperial court; we need to be careful to keep this a secret!"

"This study contains countless court secrets and even the Emperor's edicts. What if they are leaked? Is there anyone who can take the blame?"

His words were full of accusations, and he seemed to be nitpicking.

Qian Qianyi was displeased and said angrily:
"Is Commander Fang here to cause trouble for Qian?"

"Whose instructions were they following?"

Fang Hongzan cupped his hands and said:

"I am the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so of course I am acting on the Emperor's orders."

"Now, I am here on the Emperor's orders to warn you to be careful to keep secrets."

"Your method of having someone pass on the message among the rickshaw pullers is rather crude."

"The rickshaw pullers' union is just an outer circle of us. What makes you think no one can detect it?"

Qian Qianyi was initially angry, but upon hearing this, his face turned deathly pale.

He arranged for Liu Si and others to pass on messages among the rickshaw pullers in order to influence Liu Hanru to submit a memorial to the throne. This was originally a confidential matter, but unexpectedly, the Embroidered Uniform Guard found out about it so clearly.

Thinking about the consequences if the emperor found out about this, his lips trembled, and he could hardly utter a sound.

Now he understood that Fang Hongzan's suggestion that he find a quiet place was actually a way of saving face for him.

Otherwise, how could he maintain his dignity as a teacher if he said this in front of his students?

After issuing the warning, Fang Hongzan added:

"His Majesty said that Mr. Qian is a scholar and should focus on his studies."

"One must be sincere in pursuing knowledge and not let one's heart be swayed by trickery and deceit."

"This is the Emperor's advice to you; don't be ungrateful!"

He was given a character "诚" (sincerity) written by the emperor himself, and told to remember it well.

When Qian Qianyi heard that the emperor had learned of his shameful deeds, he was so ashamed that he almost covered his face.

After Fang Hongzan finished reciting the emperor's instructions, he knelt down to receive the bestowed calligraphy, and, squeezing out tears, said:

"How dare I disobey His Majesty's instructions!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

He was deeply moved by the emperor's secret instructions, knowing that they were saving face for him.

Otherwise, if he were publicly questioned, his reputation would be ruined. The Donglin Party, especially Cheng Jiming, would regard him as an enemy.

The emperor's decision to keep this matter a secret undoubtedly saved his political life, allowing him to continue to thrive in the court.

Thinking of the emperor's favor, Qian Qianyi couldn't help but burst into tears, feeling that it was truly the emperor's great grace.

Seeing that he seemed somewhat sincere, Fang Hongzan suppressed his contempt and revealed another matter that the emperor had arranged:
There is a saying in the Book of Changes: "If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if important matters are not kept secret, they will lead to disaster."

"Among the ten intelligence divisions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Secret Service ranked second, but in terms of actual power, it could be considered the first."

"His Majesty also attaches great importance to secrecy and plans to send secretaries to his ministers to be in charge of confidential documents."

"We hope Mr. Qian will submit a memorial on this matter and complete the establishment of the secretariat before the leadership reshuffle in August."

By seizing on Qian Qianyi's weaknesses, they forced him to do things that offended others.

Qian Qianyi himself could tell that he would not accept a secretary appointed by the imperial court.

Not to mention that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was involved, and it's highly likely that it was a secret agent.

But he had no choice but to follow instructions and submit a memorial to the emperor, citing classical texts.

Soon, rumors about the secretariat began to circulate in the imperial court, sparking heated discussions. (End of Chapter)