Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Zhu Youjian tapped the chair with his fingers, barely suppressing his anger.

He knew that the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty were very good at faking court beatings, and many people gained fame among scholars by opposing the emperor to demonstrate their integrity.

The more you engage with these people, the more they get into your ways.

The best approach is to avoid arguing with them and simply fabricate a charge against them.

Previously, Zhu Youjian suppressed the court by dealing with the eunuch faction. Anyone who had submitted a memorial praising Wei Zhongxian could be treated as an accomplice to the rebellion.

Unfortunately, after this reshuffle, very few people remained connected to the eunuch faction. Most of those who stayed behind also sided with the emperor, identifying themselves as members of the emperor's faction.

Zhu Youjian kept Han Kuang in office because he wanted him to develop a new weapon called "small tricks" to hang over the heads of officials.

Before the new weapon was even forged, he began to consider whether to use methods such as anti-corruption to deal with the opposition in the court.

This was a foreshadowing he had laid long ago; as long as the family's assets did not match the declared assets, he could be prosecuted for the crime of having unexplained sources of wealth.

If tax evasion is discovered during the asset investigation, it's even simpler; they could even be stripped of their citizenship and their official positions revoked.

Zhu Youjian is now pondering whether or not to use this weapon:

"Once it's used the first time, officials will be more cautious next time."

Is it worth it for a Korean-Japanese war?

"Besides, the leadership has just changed!"

There are many ways to deal with officials, and Zhu Youjian made many preparations when he delegated power.

He has a way to remove any official in the court from office.

However, once officials are replaced, especially high-ranking officials like the Nine Ministers, the newly reshuffled court will be thrown into turmoil once again.

Officials will keep a close eye on vacancies and figure out how to get promoted.

Zhu Youjian's reshuffling of officials was intended to get them doing real work; he did not want the court to be in turmoil, nor did he want officials to focus solely on their positions.

Therefore, he had long ago decided not to remove officials unless absolutely necessary, unless these people had clearly committed crimes.

Han Rizuan may have angered him, but he had only said a few words. If he were to dismiss him in a fit of anger, the people of the world would feel wronged.

Zhu Youjian, not wanting Han Ri to inherit this reputation and become a model for future generations, began to consider how to solve similar problems.

He considered the act of deliberately provoking the emperor to obtain a beating in court as a category, and resolved to completely resolve this problem.
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Just as he was pondering this, Gao Shiming, the Grand Master of Ceremonial, who had heard the emperor's signal, shouted "Silence!" and ordered all officials to remain quiet and return to their posts if there was nothing else to do.

The censors, holding the additional title of Palace Attendant Censor, kept a close watch on their surroundings, ready to record any officials who violated court etiquette.

This was one of the measures Zhu Youjian added after changing the Imperial Palace Etiquette, to ensure that the court order would not be disrupted and could be restored as quickly as possible.

He didn't want to cause a scene where Ma Shun was killed; the order of the court had to be maintained.

Therefore, upon hearing Gao Shiming's voice, most officials returned to their seats. Only a handful, including Han Rizuan, remained, still preparing to speak.

Although few in number, these people showed no fear whatsoever. They did not believe that the emperor would punish them for these words.

In particular, they were speaking on behalf of the outer court, wanting to return the authority to set music to the Ministry of Rites.

This is what most officials are happy to see; they are also quite unhappy about the emperor appointing musicians to perform music.

Grand Secretary Han Kuang was about to step forward to smooth things over and defuse the emperor's anger.

Suddenly, Wen Tiren, who was behind him, stepped forward first and began to speak:

"Your Majesty, Han Rizuan harbors malicious intentions and is preventing Your Majesty from enjoying the pleasures of the people."

"I believe that he should be dismissed and warned, and replaced with the Minister of Rites."

They unequivocally condemned Han Rizuan, believing he harbored malicious intentions.

Zhu Youjian found the conversation very pleasant and was delighted by Wen Tiren's perceptiveness.

Zhu Youjian was naturally very satisfied that he could suppress the ministers who provoked him without having to personally intervene.

Deep down, he still preferred to be a arbiter. It seemed beneath him to personally engage in debates with his ministers.

Therefore, he understood even more why Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty employed Yan Song.

It's so comforting to have a minister in the court who supports you.

Zhu Youjian was satisfied, but Han Rizuan was not.

Upon hearing Wen Tiren's accusations, he shouted:
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

"I have never stopped Your Majesty from sharing joy with the people. I only believe that the restoration of rites and music should be entrusted to someone who is proficient in rites and music."

Upon hearing this, Wen Tiren raised an eyebrow and retorted:
"So, Minister Han believes he is more musically talented than Li Yu?"

"May I ask what musical pieces you've composed? What works do you have?"

This left Han Rizuan speechless. He could only write lyrics; he knew nothing about music.
However, as the Minister of Rites, he was very familiar with rites and music, and immediately said to Wen Tiren:

"The purpose of re-establishing rites and music is to guide music with rites."

"Although Han was not knowledgeable in music, he was confident that he could instruct in music."

This was the idea of ​​many scholars, who believed that reading the classics could guide everything.

This applies to fields such as medicine, calligraphy and painting, and animal husbandry, and Han Rizuan is naturally confident that he can guide Yue.

Wen Tiren did not refute his statement, but instead said with a half-smile:
"So, Minister Han believes that his knowledge surpasses that of Chancellor Liu, and that he is qualified to oversee the revision of rites and music?"

"That is truly a cause for celebration! Your Majesty, I congratulate you on acquiring such a talented individual!"

These words were clearly sarcastic, and Zhou Yanru, the Right Deputy Chief Justice, exclaimed in surprise:

"Is Minister Han's expertise in rites and music actually superior to that of Chief Minister Liu?"

"I've never heard of this before. I wonder what articles or theories he has written?"

This caused the officials in his faction to burst into laughter.

They mocked Han Rizuan for overestimating his abilities, actually vying with Liu Zongzhou for the leading role in revising the rites and music.

Who doesn't know Liu Zongzhou's learning and morality? If he hadn't raised the banner of "benevolence and righteousness" to persuade the emperor, the current emperor's restoration of rites and music would never have been so gentle, nor would he have treated his ministers so kindly.

It can be said that Liu Zongzhou was kind to all the officials, and those officials who were pardoned and given lenient punishment by the emperor were especially grateful.

Once they sensed that the emperor had become stern, they would think of Liu Zongzhou, and had even recently requested the emperor to recall him.

Even if Han Rizuan became a Grand Secretary, let alone the Minister of Rites, he would not be qualified to compete with Liu Zongzhou for the leading role in revising the rites and music.

These laughs made Han Rizuan blush deeply.

Only then did he remember that Li Yu, in addition to being the head of the Royal Orchestra, was also Liu Zongzhou's disciple.

He revised the music under the guidance of Liu Zongzhou, and if he wanted to seize this power, he had to get past Liu Zongzhou first.

Is Liu Zongzhou's status in academia something he can challenge?
Not to mention that the emperor always remembered Liu Zongzhou, and even after releasing him, he would recall him.

At this moment, Han Rizuan truly felt he had made a fool of himself and had to defend himself, saying:
"I only believe that Your Majesty should not favor actors."

"To govern a country, it is necessary to employ more scholars."

This argument greatly displeased Zhu Youjian, who said with a serious expression:

"What is an actor? What is a scholar?"

"Although Li Yu was engaged in music, he was a proper scholar." "Moreover, because of his merits, he was specially granted the title of Yuanshi."

“Yuanshi is a national scholar, and enjoys the same status as Jinshi in the officialdom.”

"Being born into poverty is not a disgrace; only those who become national heroes are true men."

"Did Minister Han's words just now oppose my special bestowal of the title of Yuan Shi?"

This immediately aroused the indignation of officials in the imperial court who had come from the ranks of scholars.

Compared to officials who passed the imperial examinations, their origins were mostly humble, and they often felt a vague sense of inferiority, which they were most concerned about.

When they heard the emperor speak up for them, but Han Rizuan regarded them as actors, they stood up one by one to oppose Han Rizuan's discrimination.

At this time, there were quite a few officials in the imperial court who came from the Yuan dynasty.

Apart from the artisan officials of the Shaofu Temple, Sun Yuanhua, Feng Menglong, and others were all specially granted the title of Yuanshi.

Their status may not be high enough, but they are already very powerful.

Even Han Il-juan had to admit that he had misspoke and had no intention of discriminating against these officials.

Zhu Youjian seized upon the loopholes in Han Rizuan's words and launched a fierce attack, emphasizing that:

“The Yuanshi degree was equivalent to the Jinshi degree, which was established when the Yuanshi system was formulated.”

"I don't care what you think, you must not be treated differently in officialdom."

"Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, you must remember this, or I will hold you accountable."

The officials of the Ministry of Personnel, suffering this undeserved calamity, cursed inwardly.

Minister Guo Yunhou stated that he would never discriminate against scholars.

This system of granting special privileges to officials was originally intended to win over ministers, allowing them to recommend their relatives and children.

The ministers in the court naturally defended this system, as they did not want such a good system to be abolished.

Han Rizuan's discriminatory remarks against Yuan Shi were met with unanimous opposition, and no one ever again called Li Yu a courtesan.

After successfully suppressing the rumors about the actors, Zhu Youjian finally breathed a sigh of relief and earnestly addressed his ministers:

"Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants are the four classes of people in the country."

"But being a scholar is not a profession; one must farm, work, or do business in the world to pass on the family business."

“The best of these professions, such as musicians, doctors, and craftsmen, should be recruited into the literati to strengthen the literati class.”

"Only in this way will these industries be more supportive of scholars becoming officials and accepting their management."

"We must not be narrow-minded and exclude scholars who have not taken the imperial examinations."

These words were spoken from the heart, instructing scholars on how to maintain their status.

Although some ministers disagreed, they dared not speak out in the face of the widespread ridicule of Han Rizhuan.

Zhu Youjian reiterated that scholars were not professionals; they could engage in various professions and participate in elections for their respective fields.

This was a preferential treatment for scholars in exchange for their support of the imperial court.

Qian Qianyi, as the proposer of this method, loudly supported and echoed it, praising the emperor for valuing scholars.

Zhu Youjian only remembered that there was this Vice Minister of Rites when he heard his voice.

Seeing that Qian Qianyi had been quite obedient lately and truly followed his orders, he quickly came up with an idea and said to Han Rizuan:
"I approve of Minister Han's idea of ​​presiding over the restoration of rites and music."

"By this time, the rites and music of the Ming Dynasty had to be rebuilt and revitalized."

"However, the restoration of rites and music is a matter of great importance, and I cannot casually use people who have not proven themselves in this area."

"Now there is an opportunity to test your abilities. I wonder if you, Han Qing, are willing?"

Han Rizuan had just suffered a loss in this regard, and was ridiculed for vying for dominance with Liu Zongzhou.

Hearing the emperor praise him and offer him a way out, he could only say:
"Although I am not talented enough, I am willing to give it a try."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjian immediately said:

"The founding of Joseon and the Ming Dynasty were around the same time, and both had accumulated many problems. It was time for Joseon to rebuild its rites and music."

"I wish to appoint Minister Han as an imperial envoy to guide the restoration of rites and music in Korea."

“Referring to the three major rites and regulations, a code of conduct was formulated for the King of Joseon and his subjects as their governing rites, thus ushering in the era of rites.”

"This is a difficult task that may take several years in North Korea. I wonder if Han Qing is willing?"

The plan is to send him to North Korea and see what he can do.

If they are capable, that's fine; if they are not, they won't be retained in the next election.

When Han Rizhuan heard that he was going to North Korea, he was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. He really didn't want to go.

Giving up a high-ranking official position in the capital to go to a vassal state and become a retired king is meaningless.

However, since the emperor had given him this opportunity to lead the revision of rites and music, it would seem tactless for him to refuse outright. He could only say:

"I am the Minister of Rites and also serve as an Associate Grand Secretary."

"There are many affairs in the court, and I fear I will find it difficult to leave."

Zhu Youjian almost burst out laughing when he heard his reason. He asked Qian Qianyi:

"Did you hear what Minister Han just said?"

"If Minister Han goes to Korea on business, can Minister Qian take over the affairs of the Ministry of Rites?"

Qian Qianyi, of course, said he could; he dreamed of becoming Minister of Rites. He said to Han Rizuan:
"Minister, you may go without any problem!"

"The affairs of the Ministry of Rites are something that Qian and the gentlemen are capable of handling."

"The cabinet is currently assisted by the Grand Secretary, so it doesn't matter if we lose one more Grand Secretary."

They directly put Han Rizuan on a pedestal and even found someone to take over his duties.

Once Han Rizuan leaves, he, as the Left Vice Minister of Rites, will have no superior. Not only will he be able to manage the Ministry of Rites, but he can also represent the Ministry at the ministerial meetings.

This was a real opportunity to become one of the Nine Ministers, and Qian Qianyi certainly wouldn't give it up. He kept praising Han Rizuan, believing that no one but the Minister of Rites could preside over the restoration of the rites and music of Korea.

Han Rizuan was an upright and learned man, and he found it difficult to deal with Qian Qianyi's methods.

Unable to swallow his pride, he could only agree to temporarily resign his court post and go on a business trip to Korea, under the combined influence of the emperor and Qian Qianyi.

He was determined to do well in Korea, and with his achievements in restoring the rites and music there, he would return to the court and gain a greater voice.

Feeling deeply humiliated by being ridiculed today, he vowed to make a name for himself in Korea and achieve a position like Liu Zongzhou.

The courtiers stared in disbelief at his fate.

The current emperor's methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated; he uses this pretext to describe what is clearly a demotion and exile.

Han Rizhuan had no choice but to go, leaving him no option but to be forced to go.

Some officials who were quite active recently have begun to reflect on their actions:
Had I not been respectful enough to the emperor before? Had I spoken too loudly in court?

We cannot end up like Han Rizuan, who was demoted from one of the Nine Ministers to an overseas post. (End of Chapter)