Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 187: Yin and Yang Order, Warts and Attachments

The king should be clear in his service to the heaven and observant in his service to the earth. He should offer sacrifices to the heaven at the Circular Mound in the southern suburbs and to the earth at the Square Lake in the northern suburbs, so as to follow the positions of yin and yang.

Nanjiao Circular Mound has been the place where emperors prayed for rain, harvests, and confessed their crimes since ancient times.

The so-called confession of sin simply refers to the emperor blaming himself to heaven.

Today, the Nanjiao Circular Mound is the first to encounter the saying "bearing the guilt on behalf of the minister" - the stars in the sky are foreshadowing the sin, not for me, but for the traitorous ministers.

When the ministers heard the emperor's words, they were so frightened that they almost jumped up.

I thought the emperor was making concessions today for the sake of the political situation, but who knew he would be so outrageous and arrogant!
How can this be called a sacrifice to heaven? It is clearly a political mutiny!
Many officials who had disobeyed the emperor recently, such as Shen Sixiao and Ai Mu who had caused a lot of trouble, all looked horrified and exchanged glances frequently.

The ministers Ma Ziqiang and Shen Shixing, the Censorate Wen Chun and other close ministers to the emperor stood with their hands behind their backs, expressionless.

There were only a group of junior ministers, doctors and officials who had no idea of ​​the situation and were in a mess, not knowing what to do.

The humble ones among them knelt down and pleaded guilty almost as a conditioned reflex: "We are guilty!"

Lu Guangzu, who was lost in thought over the emperor's words, immediately came to his senses when he saw someone bowing down.

He snorted coldly and looked around at the courtiers who were pleading guilty: "Your Majesty, when you say 'this kind', you mean 'that kind'. You are so eager to plead guilty..."

"Could it be that he is the minister who has no ruler and no people as your majesty said?"

After this reminder, the court official who had just knelt down to apologize suddenly came to his senses and for a moment he didn't know whether he should continue to kneel down or stand up in embarrassment.

At this moment.

There was a commotion at the end of the train.

I saw that the censor Liu Tai had taken off his crown and hat at some point, held it in his hand, and walked up from the end of the shift with his head held high.

Everyone looked at it.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Tai walked to the front and raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, what you said is that the officials in the world have committed many crimes, which have offended the harmony of heaven. Your Majesty's words are great, and those who hear them will cry."

"However, Your Majesty said that Yuan Fu Ju Zheng was a loyal minister, but I think that is not the case."

"Among the traitors, the worst one is Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng!"

"The stars indicate that there is no other sign than this!"

Seeing this student of Zhang Juzheng come forward, the ministers could not help but understand what he meant.

The focus of today's debate has never been on whose crime was predicted by the stars - the officials in the court may have used Dong Zhongshu's ideas, but they knew it better than anyone else.

So after the emperor insulted his courtiers, no one argued with him about what the comet actually foreshadowed. Instead, no one immediately responded to the emperor at the crucial point.

The key lies only in the new policy!
Zhang Juzheng is currently in mourning, which is the weak point of the new policy.

Even though the emperor had a tough attitude at the moment and seemed to be supporting the new policy.

But as long as Zhang Juzheng, the prime minister who had ruled the country for eight years, was gone, the performance of whoever took his place would be greatly reduced.

If that is the case, who else could be the traitor who was pointed out by the stars in that day but Zhang Juzheng?
As expected, after Liu Tai launched the attack, the emperor stopped boasting.

Zhu Yijun did not hide his disgust towards Liu Tai: "You are slandering your teacher like this?"

Liu Tai had already prepared a plan for this: "Your Majesty, I was first an imperial censor of the Ming Dynasty and a subject of Your Majesty, and only then can I talk about teachers and students."

Zhu Yijun sneered: "Then Censor Liu, please tell me what kind of traitor your teacher is."

Liu Tai was not afraid and said loudly: "Your Majesty, please understand!"

"When the previous emperor was about to die, Ju Zheng used illness as an excuse to expel Gong. Since he became the Prime Minister, he has been arrogant and self-centered, and has no regard for the court. He created the system of performance evaluation and threatened his colleagues. After a short period of assisting the government, he became the richest man in Chu. He built a mansion in Jiangling, costing as much as 100,000 yuan, and built palaces similar to those of a king. He had thousands of concubines and served him like a king."

"Isn't this a traitor?"

As soon as these words were spoken, several people immediately echoed them.

Shen Sixiao and Ai Mu stepped out at the same time and said loudly, "Your Majesty."

"After Yuan Fu lost his father, he has been lingering in the capital and has refused to return home. Then, there were strange celestial phenomena and the stars changed drastically."

"This sign of loyalty and treachery is self-evident!"

"In all matters, we must first examine people's hearts and be at peace, then we must measure and obey the will of heaven, and then the changes in the sky can be eliminated."

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Zou Yuanbiao followed closely behind: "Your Majesty, Zhang Juzheng is greedy for power, disregards human ethics and moral principles, and violates the harmony of heaven. Please respond to the changes of heaven and follow the will of the people!"

No matter how the emperor uses his eloquence, he still has to abide by the moral principles of human ethics.

This is what people in Shilin are talking about!
Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the cabinet who presides over the new law, must go!
Lu Guangzu, Liu Tai, Shen Sixiao, Ai Mu, Zou Yuanbiao...

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yijun saw these people popping out one after another, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether he was sad or happy.

He stared at Liu Tai, who showed up first, and spoke slowly, "Is there any evidence for what Censor Liu said, that Yuan Fu was the richest man in Chu, that he drafted palace bans, and that he had thousands of concubines?"

Liu Tai was about to speak.

Zhao Jin, who was standing by, suddenly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the censors report things based on hearsay, and do not need actual evidence."

When Liu Tai saw that someone had spoken for him, he said no more, but simply bowed to the emperor to show his feelings.

Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhao Jin, and here comes another one.

He passed by Zhao Jin and looked at Liu Tai again, saying seriously, "If that's the case, why hasn't Mr. Liu retired yet?"

Liu Tai was stunned, thinking that the emperor wanted to depose him, and was speechless.

Zhao Jin of the Ministry of Rites could not help but speak out: "Your Majesty, there has never been a rumor that the imperial court dismissed the censor just because of a report!"

Chen Yu, the official from the Ministry of Personnel, also stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty, please think twice."

Zhu Yijun heard this and shook his head: "It is not that I want to depose him, but that Censor Liu should resign on his own initiative."

When these words were spoken, Liu Tai was stunned.

Zhao Jin and Chen Wei were even more speechless.

Zhu Yijun was not reluctant to explain. He looked at Liu Tai seriously and said, "Didn't Censor Liu say that he was first a censor of the Ming Dynasty and then a disciple of Yuan Fu?"

"Now, Liu Qing, as the Imperial Censor, has fulfilled his duty of reporting on rumors."

"Then... isn't it your responsibility as a student to clear the teacher's name?"

"If you truly have a sense of morality and are not hypocritical, then you should retire and go to Jiangling to find out the truth."

"This way, you have fulfilled the duties of the monarch and his subjects, and the relationship between teacher and student. Regardless of whether you will be reborn in the future, and regardless of whether the prime minister is honest or not, Yu Qing will be a good story passed down to future generations."

Zhu Yijun paused, his tone turned cold: "Or is it that the moral principles are just the chamber pot that Censor Liu uses to strictly discipline people?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Liu Tai opened his mouth, the words went around in his mouth, and then he swallowed them back.

He looked caught off guard, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Liu Tai turned his head slightly and looked at Zhao Jin and Chen Wei.

Unfortunately, I can only feel helpless.

Seeing this response, Liu Tai, who had just held his head high, suddenly lost his momentum.

Lu Guangzu watched the whole process coldly, and sighed in his heart again, the emperor really deserved the saying - he was smart enough to refuse advice.

Having said that, Liu Tai has no other choice.

Not only that, if Liu Tai couldn't find any palace in Jiangling, then he would probably have to wear the hat of "disregarding human ethics and morals" that he had accused Zhang Juzheng of!

Looking at the literary leader on the stage writing furiously, his name will probably be passed down through the ages.

It's really murderous and heartbreaking!
Liu Tai, who faced this incident directly, was stunned and at a loss as to what to do.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally knelt down with difficulty, as if his spine was broken, and said in a weak voice: "I would like to retire."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand to indicate approval.

Seeing that the emperor dealt with Liu Tai easily, those who were just about to follow him couldn't help but hesitate.

Zhao Yongxian was even more frightened and buried his head behind Zheng Zongxue again.

Unfortunately, there is always someone who will hit the wall.

Ai Mu was not afraid at all and spoke again: "Your Majesty, even if Censor Liu is suspected of seeking fame, it has nothing to do with the matter of the Yuanfu observing the mourning period."

Zhu Yijun did not look at Ai Mu. Putting aside his behavior, just looking at his name, he seemed to be someone who was deliberately asking for a beating in court.

He was too lazy to pay attention to Ai Mu and looked at the ministers: "The matter of the prime minister's observance of the mourning period has been a commotion since the end of August."

"It just so happens that we are talking about this today, so I will ask for clarification..."

"How can the Yuanfu not seize his love when his father died?"

The emperor asked sincerely.

The reaction of the court officials was also unexpectedly fierce.

Chen Younian from the Ministry of Personnel suddenly stepped out. Upon seeing this, Xu Fuyuan wanted to reach out to stop him, but it was too late. He could only close his eyes and ignore it.

The former came closer, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Yuanfu is confident and speaks to Yang with words that are only the principles of the saints and the laws of our ancestors."

"Confucius said: 'Have I also loved my parents for three years?' The prince asked for mourning, and Mencius said: 'Even if it is one more day, it is better than the previous one.'"

"Then one will eventually lose the teachings of the saints and wise men, and will violate them, which is something he cannot bear."

Wang Xijue glanced at the emperor with some concern.

Zhang Juzheng's adherence to the system was not only faced by people who were dissatisfied with the new law, but also by conservative scholars like Chen Younian.

In fact, Wang Xijue was happy to see Zhang Juzheng return to his hometown to observe the mourning period.

This is the filial piety of the Ming Dynasty.

Even when Wang Xijue was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, if he encountered a case where the father was having an affair, the verdict would still be "only to cover up the father's evil and expel his wife."

Under this kind of filial piety, when it came to Zhang Juzheng's love affair, apart from those with ulterior motives, there were naturally also those scholars with moral integrity who spoke up for justice.

If the emperor does not carefully distinguish between the two, he may make a big mistake. Thinking of this, he suddenly had an idea.

Wang Xijue pondered for a moment and then stepped out slowly: "Your Majesty, it's not that I can't take away the love, but there is no precedent for this in ancient times."

It is not known whether the emperor accepted his help or was simply being gentle with him.

The emperor explained softly, "If what Mr. Chen said about the prime minister being unable to bear it is true, then it was also my determination to seize the love."

"If what Mr. Wang said is the established law of our ancestors, there are also old examples of the assistant ministers Yang Pu and Li Xian."

"Why?"

Just as Chen Younian was about to say something else, he felt something tight on his back and was dragged back to the train with a stumble.

Wang Xijue immediately responded, "Your Majesty, please understand."

"Even if we look at the past examples of Yang Pu and Li Xian, they also did not leave for three years, not just one day."

"Your Majesty can order Yuan Fu to return home and wait for orders at home. After the funeral is completed, we can discuss the matter again."

There is no precedent for not observing filial piety for even one day, but there is a precedent for not observing it for more than three years.

This way it only takes half a year.

It can also help remove some obstacles from the literati for the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun nodded slowly.

Then he looked at all the officials and asked, "Do you agree with this?"

Chen Younian, who had just spoken righteously, sighed inwardly after hearing this and finally chose to give up.

Zhao Zhigao, Yu Shenxing and other Hanlin scholars looked at each other, and a look of hesitation appeared on their faces.

At this moment, Zou Yuanbiao suddenly said, "Your Majesty."

"I think otherwise. At that time, Li Xian was determined to seize the opportunity, but was impeached by his students. Moreover, he was criticized at the time, but was ridiculed by later generations."

"Yang Tinghe even gave up his love and left, which won him praise from scholars."

"Your Majesty has accumulated a lot of achievements over the years, but Your Majesty failed on one day. I don't know how Your Majesty could bear to do this."

Zhu Yijun suddenly shook his head and laughed: "So, what Zou Qing means is that if the Prime Minister does not resign, he will be clinging to power, and if I insist on doing it, it will be unfair to the Prime Minister?"

"Once you take away my love, I will no longer be a subject, and no longer be a king."

Zou Yuanbiao seemed not to notice the displeasure in the emperor's words, and replied sternly, "That's right!"

Zhu Yijun nodded.

He no longer paid attention to Zou Yuanbiao, but looked at Chen Wude: "Mr. Chen, you are a recognized gentleman, and you are also the first official to petition me not to take away my love."

"There is one thing I don't understand, please enlighten me."

This is also why Zhang Juzheng's love affair caused such a big fuss.

Chen Wude, a minister who had worked with the emperor for seven years and strongly advocated new laws, also disagreed with Zhang Juzheng's seizure of his love.

He even took the lead in submitting memorials many times, and his words were even more intense than those of Zhao Jin and his gang.

Chen Wude did not want to lose face in front of the emperor in such an occasion, so he remained silent.

However, when the emperor called on him, he could only step out and answer: "I will tell you everything I know."

Zhu Yijun went straight to the point: "Since it is a human relationship, why can't the courtesy be extended to common people?"

"Since this is a moral code, why did I only observe mourning for 27 days when my father died?"

Such problems are naturally not difficult for an old-fashioned person.

Chen Wude blurted out: "Your Majesty, we scholars bear the heavy responsibility of the world and are the eyes of the four seas. We must correct ourselves before we can correct the common people."

"The Master said, 'When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette; when the common people have too much clothing to cover their bodies and too little food to fill their stomachs.'"

"So, etiquette is not given to common people."

"As for your majesty..."

"The greatest filial piety of a sage lies in the ability to carry on the legacy. He should inherit the important tasks of the state and the military, and should not neglect them. He should replace the days with the months, and stick to the old rules."

Zhu Yijun asked, "Replacing the moon with the sun was something Emperor Wen of Han came up with on his own initiative, and it was not taken from the Zhou Li, right?"

Chen Wude was stunned.

But he still nodded reluctantly: "As your majesty said."

Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Wude, Wang Xijue, Chen Younian, Yu Shenxing and other scholars: "The common people have insufficient food in their granaries, and the emperor has a strong military and national security. In this case, there is a need for changes in the mourning system."

"In this case, the Prime Minister is now in charge of the new government and is in a hurry to conduct military operations..."

He paused and said seriously, "King of Arms, no way to avoid it, okay?"

This question is not only directed at Chen Wude, but also at Chen Wude, Zhao Zhigao and others.

At the same time, we are carefully distinguishing between the two groups that are now merging.

As soon as the words "Jin Ge Wu Dao" were uttered, the Hanlin scholars who had been restless suddenly stopped.

Chen Younian's eyes lit up and he nodded slightly.

Chen Wude hesitated for a while, as if he was still considering it.

Wang Xijue opened his mouth to speak again.

At this time, Zhao Jin from the Ministry of Rites suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, what you said about the prime minister's urgency in taking up arms is a bit far-fetched."

When Zhu Yijun heard this, his face instantly fell.

He took a deep breath and restrained all his expressions.

Then he looked around at all the court officials quietly: "In this case, let's take advantage of today's ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens at the Circular Mound in the southern suburbs. The six hundred court officials are present..."

"Gentlemen, please express your opinions one by one."

"Those who think you deserve to be deprived of love should stand on the left! Those who think you shouldn't be deprived of love should stand on the right!"

"Ma Qing! Shen Qing! You two will lead the team!"

After saying that, Zhu Yijun pointed at Ma Ziqiang and Shen Shixing again.

When the ministers saw this, they were instantly in an uproar.

What is the emperor doing?
Even though Wang Xijue's heart was with the emperor, he couldn't help but change color and bowed hastily: "Your Majesty, please think twice!"

By doing this, wouldn't the emperor be giving those who oppose the new law a legitimate reason to join the Unity Party?
How unwise!

Zhu Yijun turned a blind eye and said: "I have thought it over!"

Chen Wude, the Right Censor-in-Chief, who had been trying to restrain himself, suddenly regretted not responding to the emperor's words.

His face was pale, and he sternly warned: "Your Majesty, do you want to stir up a party dispute yourself?!"

The emperor's actions were really beyond his expectations!

Even with the trust they had gained from working together for seven years, he couldn't believe that this was something the emperor would do!

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun finally got angry and said, "Isn't there already a factional struggle in the court? Why does Mr. Chen pretend to be deaf and dumb?"

"Do you think the matter of Yuanfu seizing a lover is only about human relations?"

"Do you think that the reason Prince Lu was unable to go to his fiefdom for a time was just because my mother doted on him?"

"Do you know how many traitors and rebels were secretly colluding with each other last night?"

It would have been fine if the emperor had just gotten angry, but he also uttered vicious words that shocked everyone.

The scene was silent for a moment.

Chen Wude stammered for a long time, but couldn't find any words to respond.

Zhao Jin and Lu Guangzu looked at each other subconsciously, and then separated immediately.

Wang Xijue looked at the emperor in astonishment, then turned around and counted the number of guards around him.

Dali Temple Minister Chen Yubei suddenly staggered out, bowed and knelt on the ground.

He said in a sad tone: "Your Majesty!"

"Since I took over the Dali Temple, I cannot say that I have performed my duties faithfully and faithfully, but I have never violated the law or shown favoritism to anyone!"

"Your Majesty and my colleagues have witnessed the cleansing of the prisons, the review of laws and regulations, and the study of legal principles over the past three years!"

"As for my duties, I swear to heaven that I have a clear conscience!"

"Just because I care about the heir to the throne and human relations and have disobeyed Your Majesty, should Your Majesty regard me as a traitor?!"

After saying this, he performed three bows again and kowtowed with emotion.

A dignified official of the third rank actually shed tears in the southern suburbs!
Zhu Yijun suddenly clapped his hands in praise and said loudly, "Good! Now that we have come to this point, I also have something to say."

"You may as well ask yourselves, when it comes to the prime minister's adherence to the system, how many people are dedicated to upholding the principles of human relations?"

"The origin of this is that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty himself invented the idea of ​​replacing the moon with the sun, and you should also follow it as a guiding principle."

"In terms of precedent, the ministers of the imperial court who took advantage of others' feelings included Li Xian, Yang Pu and others."

"Speaking of flexibility, I don't know how many people I have seduced with my weapons in the past seven years."

"After all, isn't it because the Prime Minister has been promoting the New Deal for eight years that some people regard him as a thorn in their side?!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhao Jin and said, "Mr. Zhao, tell me, do you simply disagree with the Yuanfu's seizure of love, or do you disagree with the new policies that I and the cabinet are implementing?"

　I took sleeping pills this weekend, and although I slept well, I was in a daze for two days, which delayed the update. I'm really sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)