Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The results of this court recommendation largely reflected the strength of the various factions in the court, but there were also some unexpected aspects.

The first thing was the complete decline of the eunuch faction, which was expected.

After Shi Fenglai stepped down as Grand Secretary and Xue Fengxiang stepped down as Minister of War, among the ministers and officials, only Yang Jingchen, Guo Yunhou, and Yang Suoxiu could be considered remnants of the eunuch faction.

However, these three are well-known members of the imperial faction, people promoted and given important positions by the current emperor.

Therefore, none of the ministers in this generation were truly connected with the eunuch faction, and Wei Zhongxian's influence had completely dissipated.

These were ministers and officials who belonged entirely to the Chongzhen era, truly embodying the saying "one emperor, one set of ministers."

The current emperor is known for his eagerness to get things done, yet it took him five years to complete the court's reshuffle. The ministers who witnessed this were all impressed by the emperor's patience.

Then there's the Donglin Party. After being exonerated by the current emperor and gradually reinstated, this term saw the lifting of restrictions due to the Donglin split, resulting in the emergence of two Grand Secretaries and two Nine Ministers, which greatly excited them.

If we also include Li Biao, a disciple of Zhao Nanxing, as well as Yuan Keli, Bi Ziyan, and others who leaned towards the Donglin Party, the Donglin Party can be considered to have won a great victory this time, and could greatly influence the Council of Ministers.

Yang Jingchen and Wen Tiren then put forward Lin Yuji and Qian Xiangkun, who together could barely keep them in check.

This is in line with their capabilities and largely meets expectations.

The resurgence of the Donglin Party and the decline of the eunuch faction were foreshadowed.

The current emperor has long been making extensive use of the Donglin Party in local areas, and the ministers and officials have suppressed it for five years; it is impossible to continue suppressing it.

After the eunuch faction was implicated in the imperial treason case, it was like water without a source, and its decline was a natural consequence.

The only unexpected thing was that Wang Zhichen, an official who was listed as the eighth-ranking official in the treason case, was able to be promoted and become the first Left Chief Justice of the Ming Dynasty.

Although this position is not ranked high in the imperial court, if you do well, you can leave a mark on history.

As the first head of the newly reformed court, Wang Zhichen would largely determine the system of the Supreme Court.

His promotion against the odds, despite his connections with the eunuch faction, is truly astonishing.

This also serves as a signal to those connected with the eunuch faction:
As long as you do your job well, it won't affect your promotion.

At the same time, the civil and military officers and nobles who recommended him for the position also made the ministers in the court aware of this power.

It is foreseeable that the influence of these military officers and meritorious officials will not be limited to the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the Five Ministries. They are also interested in the other Nine Ministries.

When ministers are appointed in the future, their opinions should be taken into consideration.
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Another unexpected thing was that Qian Qianyi did not become one of the Nine Ministers.

Compared to Cheng Jiming, the Minister of Rites, who was promoted to Grand Secretary, Qian Xiangkun, the Vice Minister of Rites, who was promoted to Right Censor-in-Chief, and Li Biao, the Vice Minister of Rites, who was promoted to Associate Grand Secretary, he, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Vice Minister of Rites, the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, and the Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, failed to become one of the Nine Ministers, which made him look very embarrassed.

In particular, he was considered on par with Liu Zongzhou among the scholars of the Ming Dynasty, and always prided himself on being a standard-bearer for upholding the rites and music system. Now, however, he couldn't even become the head of the Three Judicial Offices. How could he face anyone?

After court, Qian Qianyi hurriedly returned home, somewhat ashamed to face anyone.

"I have utterly lost face today."

"Some people don't even know how to laugh at me, I'm really ashamed to face them."

Always valuing his reputation and face, Qian Qianyi could imagine how Wen Tiren and others would ridicule him.

Those who resent their departure from Donglin will secretly mock them, perhaps saying that they didn't become one of the Nine Ministers because they left Donglin.

Whenever Qian Qianyi thought of this, he wished he could disappear into the ground.

He appeared quite dejected when facing his disciple Qu Shisi.

Qu Shisi was also surprised that his teacher did not become a Grand Secretary or one of the Nine Ministers.

Because they had started preparing long ago, and had recruited many people for this tribunal.

Unexpectedly, he was not selected and failed to become one of the Nine Ministers.

After pondering the recommendations of the five judicial officials, Qu Shisi said:

"Lin Yuji was recommended by Vice Minister Yang. He was from Jinjiang, and he could not become a Grand Secretary because of the avoidance of fellow townsmen. It was only right that he was the first to be recommended."

“Zheng Sanjun and Li Banghua are members of the Donglin Party. Although they have now split into branches, they dare not openly form a faction and nominate all of them. However, this is enough to push the two of them to the top.”

“Wang Zhichen was somewhat unexpected, but he had the support of Liaodong meritorious officials such as Sun Chengzong, as well as civilian military officers such as Yuan Keli, so it is understandable that he was promoted to the main team.”

"It's Qian Xiangkun. He and Wen Tiren are master and apprentice. Does Wen Tiren have the ability to promote him?"

"Who else is behind him? Could it be someone who serves as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites?"

After much thought, this was the only idea Qu Shisi could come up with.

Perhaps because Qian Xiangkun held a higher position in the Ministry of Rites than Qian Qianyi, other ministers, out of habit, tended to rank him first.

This gave him some ideas about Qian Qianyi's next position.

He asked his teacher:
"Sir, has the Emperor made no arrangements for this imperial recommendation?"

"Was it the Emperor's way of preventing you from becoming a high-ranking official, and deliberately placing you sixth in the list?"

It was too much of a coincidence that he was just one person away from becoming the main supporter. Qu Shisi suspected there might be a reason behind it.

Qian Qianyi also had this guess, and was unwilling to attribute this failure entirely to himself.

He couldn't voice his complaints to the emperor, but he said with some doubt:
"Probably not?"

"I have been going along with His Majesty all this time, and His Majesty is quite satisfied with me."

"It's impossible that they would deliberately prevent me from becoming a high-ranking official; there's no reason for that."

He said this aloud, but doubts arose in his heart.

Because it was such a coincidence, he was only one place short.

This person is only three years away from having the opportunity; he will have to wait another three years.

Could it be that the current emperor sees him as young and wants to suppress him for a few more years?

Thinking about this possibility, he felt some resentment towards the current emperor's method of succession. In the past, when positions were changed every year or two, how difficult would it have been for him to get a promotion?

Despite years of hard work, he has yet to receive a promotion.

Although Qu Shisi was a disciple, he was more politically mature than Qian Qianyi. He knew that the current prime ministers had been decided, and the focus should be on the future.

He said to Qian Qianyi:

“If the Emperor has no objection to you, you may seek the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.”

"It has now become the norm for the Minister of Rites to concurrently serve as an Associate Grand Secretary. When the Minister is busy with cabinet affairs, the Vice Minister of Rites has a great deal of say in the affairs of the Ministry of Rites."

"Moreover, if something happens to a Grand Secretary, the Associate Grand Secretary can easily be promoted to fill the vacancy, and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites may also be promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Rites. It can be said to be the best position below the Nine Ministers."

"The most urgent task now is to find out the Emperor's opinion of you, sir."

"We could even try to get the Emperor to express his opinion and win the support of ministers who are loyal to the Emperor. In the subsequent court recommendation, he could be promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

Under his analysis and persuasion, Qian Qianyi gradually calmed down.

He felt that this method was indeed good, and the emperor's favor would allow him to regain his dignity.

But he had no idea how to probe the emperor's attitude, so he asked his disciple:

"The Emperor has interfered very little in this leadership transition. How can we get him to express his opinion?"

Qu Shisi was confident and eloquent:
What are the most pressing concerns for both the government and the public right now?

"Besides the change of leadership, there is also the Shuntian Prefecture Council election."

"Sir, you are the one who proposed the theory of stable property, and the parliament is mainly composed of people with stable property. The Emperor has forcibly stipulated that people with stable property must make up half of the members of the agricultural, industrial and commercial parliaments."

"Sir, you could work on this point and write a paper to protect the rights of property owners, which could be published in the Hanlin Journal. I would then request His Majesty's guidance."

"As long as the Emperor approves, it will naturally show his intentions."

Qian Qianyi was delighted, because he knew that the theory of permanent property was actually the emperor's idea, and he was just writing it on behalf of the emperor.

If one writes a paper supporting those with stable property, the emperor will surely agree. This will naturally influence the attitudes of the court and the public, making them support one in the subsequent court recommendations.

Speaking for the wealthy and powerful, in particular, meant speaking for the majority of scholars, which would garner him more supporters. Qian Qianyi, aspiring to become a high-ranking official, began using his position as the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy and concurrently the Grand Secretary of the Secretariat to gather information from various sources and advocate for the wealthy and powerful.

This was all he could rely on: using his reputation and writing skills to support the emperor's theories.

Qu Shisi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was on the right track.

Over the years, he had long since realized that this was the emperor's purpose in employing teachers. If the teachers couldn't see this clearly, they would eventually be replaced by Zhang Pu and others.

His reason for advising his teacher to aim for the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was the same: with his teacher's current abilities, there was no suitable position other than a prestigious and respectable government office like the Ministry of Rites.

He himself also had the idea of ​​going out to gain more room for development.
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Qian Qianyi had a good disciple who helped him recover from setbacks.

Others might not fare the same way; He Ruchong, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, was one of those who also encountered setbacks.

He was among the first group of officials to be reinstated after the emperor overthrew the eunuch faction, and he also had the most unfortunate experience.

When Zheng Yiwei and Xu Guangqi were nominated for cabinet positions, he was the one who was nominated in line after the two.

When Wen Ti-jen was pushed into the cabinet, he was still just a figurehead.

His two experiences of being pushed aside indicate that he is only one step away from entering the cabinet.

Unfortunately, the emperor implemented a term limit, and the cabinet did not select anyone for a long time afterward.

He was appointed to the position of Vice Minister in charge of the Grand Works, and was put to work as a craftsman.

But how could He Ruchong, a noble official, possibly do this?
Ultimately, due to his incompetence, he was transferred by the emperor to the position of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief.

This was a setback in his career, but it was still a promotion, and he became one of the Nine Ministers in the imperial court.

Therefore, when he was recommended for the position of Minister of the Court, he did not request to stay in office after becoming the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, but actively participated in the selection process, hoping to obtain a higher position.

With his qualifications, it would have been effortless for him to be included as a candidate for Associate Grand Secretary, and he was also a candidate for the head of the Three Judicial Offices.

Unexpectedly, he not only failed to become an Associate Grand Secretary, but he also failed to be selected as one of the five chief recommenders of the Three Judicial Offices.

He also lost his original position as Right Vice Censor-in-Chief after this court recommendation.

Compared to Qian Qianyi, who was not originally one of the Nine Ministers, he was the biggest failure in this court recommendation.

Even with the most refined and elegant demeanor, He Ruchong was too ashamed to face anyone this time.

After the court assembly, he submitted a memorial to the throne, firmly requesting to retire.

Zhu Youjian was very displeased when he saw this, because all the officials included in the candidates were those he approved of, and he would make arrangements for them later.

He Ruchong's actions clearly show that he is a sore loser. If all the candidates recommended by the court act like this, how will positions be arranged in the future?

He said this when he met with the new cabinet ministers:

"It is a natural principle that officials are selected through promotions and demotions."

“Zhang Jiude used to be one of the Nine Ministers, and now he is the Vice Minister of the Waterways. I haven’t seen him complain.”

“Some people think they can only rise and never fall. They give up before they are promoted, clearly because they have grievances in their hearts.”

"If everyone applied for retirement during the transition period like him, how could the court's reshuffling process continue?"

These words were quite accusatory, clearly implying that He Ruchong harbored resentment, which would have been a capital offense in the past.

The kind-hearted Cheng Jiming hurriedly defended him, saying:
"This large-scale reshuffle is the first of its kind, and some people are having trouble adjusting to it."

"I will do my best to persuade them to accept the court's arrangements."

Zhu Youjian shook his head, determined to make an example of someone, and said:

"No need to persuade them, the court doesn't need people like that!"

"Anyone who disrupts the court's arrangements during the leadership transition and requests retirement shall be approved to retire with their original rank."

"Without an imperial decree granting special consideration, he will never be employed again and may not be included in the list of candidates."

He Ruchong retired as Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and returned to his hometown by express courier.

His resignation was approved, and he was ordered to retire immediately.

The court officials were all somewhat surprised to hear of the emperor's decision.

Because the current emperor, regardless of his views on his ministers, outwardly shows them respect and often sits down to discuss matters, demonstrating his regard for them.

Even eunuch officials listed in the treason case, as long as they were not in the top five ranks, could receive the treatment of senior ministers after retiring.

He Ruchong's direct repatriation was a severe punishment.

Many people felt the punishment was too harsh and suggested that He Ruchong be transferred to a Nanjing official position or become a senior minister after retirement.

Zhu Youjian had previously thought the same way and planned to arrange things this way for He Ruchong. However, He Ruchong's request to retire truly angered him.

What he dislikes most now are officials who can't take responsibility.

To make his ministers understand the seriousness of the matter, he sternly addressed them:
"The change of government is of utmost importance. If everyone is like He Ruchong, how will things be arranged in the future?"

"It's quite convenient for him in the capital. How much money do local officials have to spend traveling back and forth to the capital?"

"Has the Ministry of Revenue calculated how much money and how much longer it will take after the change of leadership in the imperial court and local governments?"

The Ministry of Revenue certainly hadn't calculated it, because there hadn't been a large-scale reshuffle before, and the costs of transferring officials piecemeal were simply impossible to account for.

Only now that the emperor has brought it up do they realize it's a problem. Centralizing the leadership transition requires dedicated funding.

Putting aside other matters, the trips of Beijing officials to local posts, the travel of local officials to Beijing, the public announcement of candidates, and the printing of ballots all require money.

This forced Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue, to make a statement:

"The leadership transition should indeed be strictly enforced and cannot be carried out arbitrarily."

"I request that the expenses for the leadership transition be calculated, and that future budgets be prepared accordingly."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval and instructed the Ministry of Revenue to list the necessary expenditures.

Those who withdraw midway, like He Ruchong, will incur additional expenses, and the Ministry of Revenue will deeply resent this once the budget is finalized.

If it delays other job openings, the costs will definitely be higher, and the entire leadership transition will be disrupted.

The officials began to realize the seriousness of the matter. He Ruchong's actions, at best, reflected his dissatisfaction with the results of the court's recommendation; at worst, they delayed the leadership transition.

As the leaders of this first large-scale reshuffle, these newly appointed ministers could not bear the responsibility for a failed reshuffle.

Especially now that the leadership transition has begun, officials at all levels must be appointed from top to bottom, and the process simply cannot be stopped.

Therefore, the decision regarding He Ruchong was immediately made: he would retire from his original post and would no longer be considered for any other position.

In other words, He Ruchong will only have the status of a retired official and will not become a senior minister or join a local council.

It is even less likely that he will be reinstated or included in the list of candidates for officials at all levels.

The consequences were far too severe for He Ruchong to have anticipated before writing the memorial.

Even if he considers himself superior and acts indifferent to official positions, he doesn't want to go back with such a reputation.

Unfortunately, the die was cast, and the emperor and his ministers decided to make an example of him to deter others and uphold discipline during the leadership transition. Persuaded by Cheng Jiming and others, he could only tearfully return to his hometown, traveling by express courier back to his ancestral home.

His fate served as a warning to officials in Beijing, making them realize the seriousness of the leadership transition.

The reshuffling of officials involves the fate of so many people; it's not something they can act on impulse. Even if they're dissatisfied, they have to abide by the resolutions passed by the council.

Based on this incident, Zhu Youjian issued an imperial edict emphasizing that officials over sixty years of age who were nominated for the position must voluntarily apply to continue serving and confirm their willingness to continue serving the court.

If no application is submitted or the application is not approved, then one must retire and no longer hold a substantive position.

If someone passes the exam but then takes up an official post midway, they will be immediately sent back to their place of origin and will not be included in any candidate list.

Others under the age of sixty who do not wish to be included in the candidates can also apply for early retirement, and the court will not force them to serve.

The Ming Dynasty's officialdom needed ordinary people who could take things in stride and were willing to serve, not self-righteous sages who would shirk responsibility when faced with difficulties. (End of Chapter)