Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Gui Zhuang had long wanted to criticize those people from the Imperial Guard.

These people really squandered a winning hand, trying to play both sides between the emperor and the civil officials.

As a result, he is now caught in the middle, neither accepted by the civil officials nor fully trusted by the emperor.

So when he saw the opportunity to go to the Imperial Secretariat, he immediately decided to jump out and not stay in this quagmire.

Liu Qiao and the others initially thought it was a minor matter, but after Gui Zhuang pointed it out, they realized that the Imperial Guard was facing a life-or-death crisis.

They are already being ostracized by civil officials. If they lose the emperor's trust as well, how much power will they have left?

Liu Qiao wiped the cold sweat from his brow, respectfully invited Gui Zhuang to sit down, and then asked for his guidance:

"Please advise me, Mr. Gui, what should we do now?"

I need specific advice on how to proceed.

Gui Zhuang sat down casually, and after taking a sip of tea with the help of Liu Qiao and others, he offered his suggestion:
"Communicate more with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and participate more in their meetings."

"We must consult and report more often, and understand the role of the Imperial Guard within the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"As long as the Imperial Guard provides convenience for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it will not be abandoned in the future."

"You must understand that the Emperor established the Imperial Guard to separate the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the various departments of the outer court."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard will conduct its external operations under the name of the Imperial Guard."

This was indeed the intention behind the establishment of the Imperial Guard, and Liu Qiao, as the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was certainly aware of it.

However, because he was only a deputy in the Embroidered Uniform Guard but a chief officer in the Imperial Guard, he preferred to stay in the Imperial Guard and was less willing to go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Now he realized that he had made a mistake. The Embroidered Uniform Guard would not support the Imperial Guard when its power was threatened.

But do the current Embroidered Uniform Guards really have that much power?

Liu Qiao harbored deep suspicions.

Gui Zhuang, upon hearing his question, widened his eyes in disbelief and exclaimed:
"Why do you think that?"

"Who doesn't know that the current emperor values ​​the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Don't you know the significance of the daily morning and evening intelligence briefings?"

"Even among the officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial, how many of them see the emperor every day?"

The inner court were the sharers of imperial power; the closer their relationship with the emperor, the more power they shared.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard communicated with the emperor daily; who would dare underestimate its power?

Even Wang Wenzheng, the head of the Eastern Depot, no longer dares to underestimate the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Gui Zhuang never expected that Liu Qiao would have doubts about this!
Upon hearing these words, Liu Qiao felt as if lightning had struck him, and he realized where he had gone wrong:
He thought he knew the emperor very well and unconsciously looked down on him.

Or more precisely, he learned from his grandfather Liu Shouyou and became accustomed to fooling the emperor.

However, they failed to understand that they were dependent on imperial power, and the result of not being close enough to the emperor was that they were excluded from the core of power.

He finally understood why the emperor wanted to transfer people from outside rather than take over as the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard himself.

It turned out that the emperor had seen through him and did not regard him as a trusted minister.

Guo Chenghao, Wu Mengming, and the others exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing these words.

In fact, they also held the emperor in contempt, and it wasn't that they hadn't opposed the Tianqi Emperor before.

Furthermore, since their positions were nominated by civil officials, they didn't really care much about the emperor.

When introducing their positions to outsiders, they usually refer to their posts as Weiwei Temple rather than Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard).

Only now did they realize that without the emperor and the Imperial Guards protecting them, they were nothing—

Ultimately, they relied on imperial power.

For a moment, all the officials of the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Household Department fell silent, realizing just how wrong their previous actions had been.
-
Seeing the awkward silence, Liu Qiao broke it by saying:

"Let's talk about what to do!"

"What should we do to regain the Emperor's trust?"

Gui Zhuang shook his head and said:
"late!"

"The Emperor already has enough people around him; you can't squeeze in."

"The only option is to rely on someone close to the Emperor, and the most legitimate choice is the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"From now on, we must participate in the meetings of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, actively provide intelligence to the intelligence center, and indicate that the information comes from the Imperial Guard."

"That way, the Emperor will know that the Imperial Guard is useful and won't abandon you."

Liu Qiao, who completely regarded the Imperial Guard as a subordinate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and secretly wanted to be on par with the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was somewhat unwilling to accept this.

However, he outwardly agreed:

"The Imperial Guard has tens of thousands of officers who frequently assist the Embroidered Uniform Guard in handling affairs."

"We will be more attentive in the future."

"But shouldn't we also assist with matters concerning other inner court departments, and ask them to put in a good word for us with the Emperor?"

Gui Zhuang glanced at him, finding him rather teachable, and praised him:

"That shows a very proper attitude!"

"The Imperial Guard is the only one among all the inner court government offices that has the status of an outer court."

"If you take over all the affairs of the inner court, why worry about not having someone put in a good word for you on behalf of the Imperial Guards!"

“I had previously suggested that we improve our sanitation and fire prevention work to enhance the image of the Imperial Guard Temple.”

"These two points can be fully addressed by cooperating with the Imperial Medical Academy and the Imperial Family Committee, allowing them to share the credit and benefits."

As he spoke, he gave specific pointers:

"The idea of ​​immortal beings is rampant now, which is an opportunity for the Imperial Guard."

"What's the most important thing for someone who wants to become an immortal? Of course, it's medical care and hygiene."

"You will work with the Imperial Medical Academy to formulate medical and health laws, and then cooperate on several projects to solve difficult and complicated diseases."

"That must be a great achievement, and it will earn the praise of everyone in the world."

This greatly appealed to Liu Qiao, who thought it was a good suggestion.

In particular, he knew of a secret mission: the emperor had been arranging for barbarian prisoners and death row inmates to be dissected by the Imperial Medical Academy.

This year, thanks to the arrival of Dr. Taixi, the anatomy was further enhanced. Taixi painters were commissioned to create anatomical diagrams and add color for identification.

(Rembrandt's "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolas Thurn", painted in 1632, the fifth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign)
If these achievements can be put to use and make the people of the Ming Dynasty live longer, the Weiwei Temple will not only have a better image, but will also be able to make friends with the elderly.

The same applies to the senior officials in the court. If the Department of Health could master a few unique skills for the elderly, it would surely be able to win their favor.

This made Liu Qiao look at Gui Zhuang with even more kindness, as if he had found an opportunity to break the deadlock.

Gui Zhuang was unaware of the Imperial Guard's secret mission, but being well-versed in Buddhism, he mentioned a surgical procedure and suggested that the General Administration of Health try it:

"I've heard that many elderly people develop eye problems as they age, which turn their eyes bluish-white."

"During the Jin and Tang dynasties, a foreign monk from the Western Regions brought with him the art of removing obstacles with golden needles."

"Wang Kentang of Jintan also mentioned in his writings that there were doctors in the Ming Dynasty who could perform this surgery."

"If the General Administration of Health can establish standards for this surgery and make it a routine procedure that anyone can perform, it will surely benefit people all over the world." This is somewhat different from Liu Qiao's unique treatment method, but it can also win over old officials.

Liu Qiao thought about the criminals arrested by the Imperial Guard and felt that he could find some test subjects to improve the surgery.

Of course, these are all minor tactics; what he needs now is a directional strategy.

At Gui Zhuang's suggestion, Liu Qiao and other officials of the Imperial Guard formulated a grand strategy of loyalty to the emperor and assistance to the inner court, striving to make themselves irreplaceable.

However, Liu Qiao was truly unwilling to be transformed from an agent placed in the outer court by the emperor into a collaborator with other inner court departments.

Because this means they've become the assistants.

They desperately wanted a way to elevate the status of the Imperial Guard.
-
After much deliberation, these people approached Zhang Maozhong to inquire about matters concerning the Tax Police Corps:
"The Tax Police Corps was jointly established by the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Treasury."

"How much do you know about the affairs of the Imperial Treasury?"

Zhang Maozhong gave a wry smile and said:

"The Taifu Temple doesn't treat the Tax Police Corps as one of their own, and they rarely assign us any business."

"The investigation and handling of tax evasion and other related matters are mostly done by the Tax Police Corps itself."

"Sometimes, when it is found that the Taifusi Temple was the one that leaked the information, we would be blamed."

This made Liu Qiao frown, and he said:
"What is this?!"

"I propose to the Emperor that the Tax Police Corps be transferred to the Imperial Guard and should no longer be jointly operated with the Imperial Treasury."

"If they don't want it, we can't just offer it up to them!"

The group was filled with righteous indignation and wanted to bring the Tax Police Corps under their complete control.

However, Zhang Maozhong was unwilling to do so, because it would cause the Tax Police Corps to lose its independent status.

He said:
"Tax matters cannot be handled without the cooperation of the Imperial Treasury."

“Even if they don’t cooperate, we can still access their tax records.”

"Without this record, nothing can be done."

He explained to Liu Qiao and others the work of the Tax Police Corps, their tax audits, and their authority to review tax data.

Liu Qiao and others just talked about it, knowing that it was impossible to completely take over the tax police headquarters, which had financial power.

He was simply stating his position and indicating that he stood with the Tax Police Corps.

He said to Zhang Maozhong:

"The officials of the Imperial Treasury are not cooperating, and the officials of the Censorate are delaying your approvals."

"We must think of a way to stop them from controlling us."

"Could you provide me with the tax data for officials from the Imperial Treasury and the Censorate?"

Zhang Maozhong was startled and pondered Liu Qiao's intentions.

he asked:
“As long as it’s not classified data, the tax police can see it during their audits.”

"But it's impossible to take it out; there aren't enough people to copy the data."

Liu Qiao laughed and said:

"What are you copying!"

"If you find any problems with your tax records, just take them out and report them."

"If they're unwilling to cooperate, can't you at least investigate their taxes?"

"Don't tell me you're willing to be held back by those people, to have them strangle you?"

Zhang Maozhong's eyes widened in disbelief; he never expected Liu Qiao to act so recklessly!

Is this still the same Liu Qiao? How come he's so bold now?

He was worried that if he agreed, Liu Qiao would betray him, so he refused no matter what.

Left with no other choice, Liu Qiao and the others could only reveal their suggestion to return to the village, explaining the current predicament of the Weiwei Temple.

If they cannot regain the emperor's trust and become useful departments for the emperor and the inner court, they may be abandoned and lose their current power.

Although the Tax Police Corps was not entirely under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Guard, it was jointly established by the Imperial Guard and other government offices, relying on the Imperial Guard's law enforcement power.

If the Imperial Guard loses its law enforcement power, no one knows who will be in charge of the Tax Police Corps.

They might become subordinate to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, completely controlled by civil officials.

This was something Zhang Maozhong absolutely refused to accept, and neither did the sons of officials in the Tax Police Corps. If they were placed under the jurisdiction of civil servants, how could they maintain their current status?
How can one make money in the tax police force after losing their position? How can they hold shares in various debtor companies?
Even if he didn't want to break ties with the civil officials, he had to consider Liu Qiao's suggestion.

Finally, after much deliberation and several changes in expression, Zhang Maozhong said:
"The struggle for law enforcement power is not a matter between our two families."

“Every law enforcement team should contribute.”

"If they all agree, the Tax Police Corps is willing to cooperate."

This was clearly an agreement, and Liu Qiao didn't believe the other law enforcement teams would disagree.

Soon, he summoned the heads of various law enforcement teams to discuss the matter at the Weiwei Temple.

This was the first time he had proactively convened a meeting with them since losing his position as director of the Public Security Commission. He used the guise of training to strengthen ties within the law enforcement teams.

This also made Liu Qiao realize the power of the Public Security Commission. If he were still the director of the Public Security Commission, there would be no need for such trouble, and he could even convene meetings to make resolutions.

Now, we can only discuss it with them, and we cannot make any decisions publicly.

He could only persuade the leaders of these teams by relying on his prestige.

The Imperial Guard had quite a few law enforcement teams jointly established with other government offices. In addition to the Tax Police Corps jointly established with the Imperial Treasury, there was also the Traffic Police Corps jointly established with the Imperial Stud, the Coast Guard Corps jointly established with the Ministry of the Navy, the Border Police Corps jointly established with the Ministry of Border Defense, and the Judicial Police Corps jointly established with the three judicial departments...

They all possess power and armed forces to varying degrees, making them powerful agencies.

These people are very dissatisfied with the obstacles they have encountered in their work recently.

Upon hearing Liu Qiao's suggestion to use taxation to intimidate officials, they all agreed, believing that civil servants should be taught a lesson.

With so much power, they have no need to fear anyone else.

Even if things escalate, the emperor will protect them; he won't abandon them now.

Zhang Maozhong, who was in charge of the tax police, was reluctant to break ties with the civil officials, but at this point he had no choice but to agree. Otherwise, if he objected, he would be cutting himself off from the people in front of him.

Soon, with the cooperation of the tax police, these people found the tax records of the officials who were going against them and looked for their problems.

Unless these people have impeccable records, problems can be found to some extent.

They either use these records to threaten officials, hand them over to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), or give them to their political enemies.

After a group of officials fell from grace, the civil servants quickly learned of the power of the Imperial Guard and the law enforcement teams, realizing they couldn't push them too hard.

Otherwise, if all these people suffer a devastating defeat, no one will be able to escape unscathed.

Soon, the resistance encountered by the various law enforcement teams decreased significantly.

In an effort to urge them to behave themselves, various government departments even made promises to help them apply for more budget.

Although the Ministry of Revenue was unwilling to increase its expenditures, it had no choice but to agree. This was because officials in the Ministry of Revenue were more likely to have tax problems, and officials who handled money were more prone to corruption.

The Ming Dynasty's law enforcement forces, recognizing their own strength, are transforming into truly powerful agencies. (End of Chapter)