Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 133 The New Leader of the Donglin Party

Seeing the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites being arrested in court by the Embroidered Uniform Guards in his own office, Xu Guangqi no longer had the mind to handle any official business.

"Quick! Prepare the sedan!" he shouted.

"Sir, where are you going?" The sedan chair bearers from the Ministry of Rites were very qualified and completed the preparations in a moment.

"Go to Dong'anmen. Hurry!" Xu Guangqi bowed and got into the sedan chair.

The Ministry of Rites' sedan chair stopped at the Dong'an Gate. Before it even came to a complete stop, Xu Guangqi hurriedly lifted the curtain and emerged, taking two steps at a time, practically running into the Imperial City.

Xu Guangqi was in excellent physical condition. He ran from Dong'anmen Gate and ran almost two miles to the cabinet duty room, his breath still steady. Xu Guangqi pushed open the door of the duty room, and a cold wind immediately rushed in.

The chill swept over them, startling the six cabinet members so much that they all looked up at the same time.

"Zixian?" Han Yu, who was closest to the door, was the first to notice the unprecedented anxiety on Xu Guangqi's face and immediately realized that something bad had happened. He asked, "What happened?"

Xu Guangqi simply bowed to Han Yu, then quickly walked to the main seat and said to Fang Congzhe, the leader of the civil officials and the cabinet minister, "Your Excellency, the Jinyiwei have sent a letter to arrest someone. They have arrested Minister Sun in the main hall of the Ministry of Rites!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards arrested Minister Sun?" Fang Congzhe raised his head, his face full of shock.

However, the expression on Fang Congzhe's face was completely feigned. He had anticipated this. The confrontation between the emperor and the censors at the court meeting on the eleventh day of the winter month was itself a foreshadowing of this arrest.

"You are the Prime Minister, and I am the official in the court. We cannot ignore it." Xu Guangqi did not like Sun Ruyou, but he had to stand up at this time.

"Why did the Jinyiwei arrest people? What was the reason?" Fang Congzhe did not respond, but asked another question.

"Didn't the cabinet hear anything about this?" Xu Guangqi asked doubtfully.

"How could the cabinet know about the actions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Fang Congzhe shook his head, a confused look still on his face.

"Didn't the Criminal Division inform the Cabinet?"

"No." Fang Congzhe shook his head and shouted, "Someone come!"

"What are your instructions, Prime Minister?" The cabinet duty room was also staffed with many servants.

"Go to the Criminal Department and ask Fu Du to be the Chief Censor." Fang Congzhe said matter-of-factly, "Master, everyone, let's find out what happened before we make a long-term plan."

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister is absolutely right!" Shen quickly agreed. Speaking up for the Donglin Party, isn't that a joke?
Before Fu Li arrived, more news entered the cabinet duty room before him.

Not only the Ministry of Rites, but people were also arrested from the Dali Temple, the Censorate, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and the Hanlin Academy.

"Lord Liu, the matter has gotten out of hand. Didn't you manage to stop him?" Shen's face was serious, but a hint of sarcasm could be seen in the corners of his eyes.

Although the joint petition of the six officials and nine ministers was submitted, the emperor only summoned Fang Congzhe and Liu Yirong, but the list and the news of the warning spread among the core circles of the two factions that day.

"Hmph." Liu Yirong didn't respond, but just snorted coldly.

After returning with the "garbage" given by the emperor, he immediately sent a letter to the Donglin Party leaders, including Zhao Nanxing and Zou Yuanbiao, urging them to cease their activities and stop opposing the emperor. However, as Liu Yirong had anticipated, these spiritual leaders did not persuade their censors.

In reality, Liu Yirong had no real intention of stopping these stubborn "cleansers" with just one or two letters. He was simply fulfilling his obligations. Even if he wanted to drive out the diehards, he couldn't afford to be branded as someone who knew something but didn't report it, or who had ulterior motives.

"Ji Hui. What are you trying to persuade?" Although Xu Guangqi was considered a member of the Donglin Party by outsiders, he had not received any invitation to attend meetings since he had a big quarrel with Zhao Nanxing over the Liaodong issue.

"Zixian, I...ah!" Liu Yirong looked around and finally just shook his head and sighed.

After this sigh, the duty room fell into an eerie silence until Fu Li ran in panting.

"Greetings to the Prime Minister, to the Deputy Prime Minister, to Mr. Shi, to Mr. Shen, to Mr. Liu, and to Mr. Han." Fu Li originally wanted to use the term "all the ministers" after the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to skip the tedious roll call ceremony. But seeing that the Minister of Rites Xu Guangqi was also there, he honestly greeted everyone. "Greetings to Minister Xu."

"Fu Li! Why did the Jinyiwei arrest people? Why didn't they inform the cabinet before signing the criminal law?" Han Yu's tone was full of questioning.

"I am paid by the court." Fu Li spoke in a gentle tone and was very respectful.

"It's not that I don't want to say hello to the cabinet, but I don't want to say hello to your Donglin Party, right?" Shen sneered.

Fu Li's promotion to the next level, filling the vacancy of Jieshi Zhong and acting as the criminal department was largely due to the operation of the Donglin Party.

"You!" Han Yu's face flushed red from being choked. It seemed as if Han Yu would roll up his sleeves and fight Shen if he said another word.

"Alright!" Liu Yirong pulled Han Yu closer and whispered in his ear, "There's no need to worry about Fu Li now. Just follow the plan."

"Fudu Jieshizhong. Why did the Jinyiwei arrest someone?" Seeing that Fang Congzhe still had no intention of speaking, the deputy assistant Ye Xianggao picked up the question that Shen had interrupted and continued to ask. However, his attitude was much softer than Han Yu's.

"Replying to the Minister of the Court and Han Ge Lao." Fu Li did not ignore Han Yu's arrogance. "The imperial edict states that Minister Zou, Minister Sun, and others are plotting to disrupt the government and attempt to gain control of Liaodong."

"Liaodong?" Xu Guangqi frowned. He still remembered that during the meeting to discuss Xiong Tingbi's stay or departure, Sun Ruyou remained silent from beginning to end.

"Yes." Fu Li nodded.

"Where are the others?" Liu Yirong asked.

"Collusion and forming a clique, using power to bully the emperor, is unworthy of a minister." Fu Li thought for a moment and added, "The Criminal Department believes that the officials involved are indeed suspected of this, so they have issued a joint approval letter to the emperor." Although Fu Li had completely turned to the emperor in his heart, he still managed to whitewash himself with high-sounding words. "At the court meeting, the three departments and six departments spoke in unison, which clearly showed the intention of conspiracy. Moreover, the officials' words were fierce, almost showing the intention of forcing the emperor to abdicate. How could they act like ministers at all?" Fu Li's face was solemn and his words were righteous. "Good." Fang Congzhe said the word "good" inexplicably, and he didn't know what he was praising. He waved his hand and said, "Please go back after trouble."

"I'm leaving." Fu Li raised his hand and saluted, bidding farewell to the ministers present.

After Fu Li's departure, the cabinet fell silent once again. Even Shi Jixie, who had always maintained a neutral stance and sincerely opposed the emperor's change of dynasty, remained silent. Shi Jixie's objection to the change stemmed from his fear of another period of discord between the emperor and his ministers. Now, the morning court session was no longer simply a matter of institutionalization; it had quietly transformed into a struggle between the emperor and the Donglin Party.

"What are you all planning?" The cabinet members were silent, each with their own thoughts. Only Xu Guangqi was extremely anxious.

Only Shi Jikai responded to Xu Guangqi. "Prime Minister, let's go to the Qianqing Palace to find out what the emperor thinks."

"No need to inquire. Fu Li has already made it clear." Fang Congzhe shook his head. "Your Majesty is compassionate to all officials and is streamlining the court." This assessment was extremely positive, practically tantamount to open support for the reforms. This was a stark contrast to his initial attitude when he received the imperial edict from the Imperial Household Department. "But some are vainly attempting to use this to stir up political turmoil and coerce the emperor into seizing extraordinary power."

"No matter what, we can't just sit there and do nothing." After hearing Fang Congzhe's words, Xu Guangqi knew that he could no longer persuade him. He had no choice but to repeat his old tune and implicitly reminded him, "This is not the time for a quarrel of wills."

"Your Majesty's mission is to restore order." Shen and Xu Guangqi were diametrically opposed in both stance and opinion. "Minister Xu, you should worry about yourself first."

"How could I be confined by party affiliation? Arresting so many people at once will inevitably lead to unrest in Beijing. If this situation isn't properly resolved quickly, the unrest will spread from the central government to the entire country." Xu Guangqi turned and walked away. "If you don't remonstrate with me, I will!"

Xu Guangqi had not taken a few steps when Liu Yirong caught up with him: "Brother Zixian!" he shouted.

"Ji Hui." Xu Guangqi stopped and turned to ask, "Prime Minister Fang is unwilling to intervene in this matter due to party affiliation. Why are you so quiet? Are you so afraid of getting into trouble?"

"Zixian, you have the protection of Imperial Tutor Sun, so the fire can't burn you. But you don't understand that the emperor's rage has already burned my whole body. On the day when the cabinet, ministry, department, temple and academy jointly submitted a memorial, the emperor summoned Fang Congzhe and me to the Southern Study." Seeing that there was no one around, Liu Yirong briefly recounted the incident of being scolded by the emperor.

"Then why don't you persuade him?" Xu Guangqi was puzzled.

"Do you think I can persuade them?" Liu Yirong gave a wry smile and said, "Yu Chen and I were promoted to the cabinet and involved in the affairs of state. We appear to be second-rank officials, sitting at the heart of the government. But I'm not the leader of the Donglin faction; I'm just a puppet of the censors. I've tried to persuade them, more than once. But was it any use?"

"Alas!" Liu Yirong sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're well-informed in military affairs, incredibly talented. You argued forcefully at the gathering, firmly opposing the attack on Xiong Zuotang. But what happened? Zhao Mengbai not only refused to listen, but he went his own way, instigating Yang Yuan to slander Liaodong. And in the end, I was the one who got caught in the crossfire! And..." Liu Yirong paused. "And after that, you haven't received any invitations since, right?"

"I thought there was no gathering in Donglin." Xu Guangqi said.

"Yes. Several times. Yu Chen and I wanted to invite you, but Zhao Mengbai wouldn't allow it." Liu Yirong said self-deprecatingly, "I didn't instigate the Liaodong incident or the court meeting, but in the end, all the consequences fell on me. The emperor doesn't know that I'm not in charge of the Donglin Party, but can this be explained?" Liu Yirong asked himself and answered. "It can't be explained."

"Forget it. You have your own difficulties. I'll go to the Qianqing Palace alone." Xu Guangqi nodded to show his understanding.

"No, don't go!" Liu Yirong grabbed Xu Guangqi. "At least not now."

"Why?" His mouth was quicker than his heart. As soon as Xu Guangqi asked these three words, he figured it out: "You want to take advantage of the situation?"

Liu Yirong nodded, agreeing.

"Judging from the attitudes of Lord Fang and Shen, no matter what the reason for today's arrest, it will inevitably develop into a stalemate between the two factions. The Ming Dynasty can't afford such turmoil right now." Xu Guangqi was very anxious. "Believe it or not, starting tomorrow, the censors of the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang factions will launch a full-scale attack on the Donglin Party. By then, more than just these people will be arrested and imprisoned."

"A short pain is worse than a long one," Liu Yirong said firmly. "The Donglin Party needs a new leader."

"You want to replace Zhao Mengbai?" With the previous preparation, Xu Guangqi was not surprised.

"No. The Donglin Party started the rebellion with their words, and I don't have that kind of prestige." Liu Yirong stared into Xu Guangqi's eyes. "Currently, there are only three people who are well-known throughout the country and have achieved merit through their admonitions. Zixian, do you know who they are?"

"Yang Lian, the Inspector General of Liaodong, Zuo Guangdou, the Censor of the Censorate, and Fu Li, the Chief Censor of the Criminal Department." Xu Guangqi replied immediately.

Liu Yirong shook his head. "So there was Fu Li. What he said in the cabinet was not wrong, but whether it was right or wrong, from the moment he approved the imperial edict for the Imperial Guard, he could no longer be the leader of the Donglin Party. Of course, if he denied the imperial edict again and was dismissed by the Emperor, his reputation would be unmatched. After all, the Donglin Party is such a strange and bizarre thing."

Xu Guangqi did not respond. He saw in Liu Yirong's eyes the face of a man who "made meritorious contributions through his admonitions."

"It seems Brother Zixian has already guessed it." Liu Yirong actually laughed. "Yang Lian spoke directly to the emperor, denouncing the eunuchs and vindicating Sarhu. Zuo Guangdou was the first to impeach the East Factory, sparking a major case and ultimately leading to a complete overhaul of its personnel. And Brother Zixian, you, speaking out in times of crisis, regulated the West Factory and confined it to the inner court. Yu Chen and I both support you."

"I don't want to be a leader," Xu Guangqi denied. "You should push them up."

"They can't do it, only you can." Liu Yirong took a step closer, staring intently into Xu Guangqi's eyes. "Yang Lian is far away in Liaodong, out of reach, unable even to see the emperor. Zuo Guangdou has been arrested and imprisoned, unable to protect himself. Only you! You are detached from the world."

"I just want to be a good minister to the emperor and an official of the Ming Dynasty. I don't want to be the leader of the Donglin Party." Xu Guangqi frowned.

"There is no contradiction." Liu Yirong continued to persuade: "Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou are both upright monarchs and loyal ministers, but in the final analysis, they are just figures like Hai Rui who can intimidate the villains, but that's all. Moreover, letting them be leaders is just repeating the deeds of Zhao Mengbai and Zou Erzhan. If you can be a good leader and rectify the Donglin Party, then there will be more than just you who will be a good minister and a good official." Liu Yirong persuaded step by step.

Xu Guangqi knew that the Donglin Party was indeed ill and needed to be cured. After a moment's silence, Xu Guangqi asked, "Ji Hui, what do you want?"

"I've just said it. I can't let the fire started by Zhao Mengbai and Zou Erzhan burn me again." Liu Yirong replied.

"not enough."

"That's enough," Liu Yirong shook his head. "The Emperor is a wise ruler. As long as I work diligently, he'll eventually appoint me to a new position. But if the same thing happens again, the Emperor won't trust me. I'll never be able to hold the position of Prime Minister again."

"Chief assistant?"

"Of course." Liu Yirong said without hesitation. "You are talented, and so am I."

(End of this chapter)