Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 155 All the mistakes are the fault of the cabinet
The same words, spoken by different people, have completely different effects. Cui Wensheng could ignore the censor's impeachment, but the Duke of Ying's threats were best used as a ladder.

"Forget it! You're just selling the Duke's face." Cui Wensheng raised his hand and ordered, "Stop!"

When the guards heard the factory director's order, they immediately stopped, lifted the siege and returned to their original positions.

"My Lord Duke, I gave you a favor. You must restore the Emperor's favor." Cui Wensheng turned around and returned to the Qianqing Gate.

After Cui Wensheng left, Zhang Weixian said to Xu Guangqi with a sullen face, "We should persuade them to leave now. If they continue to make trouble, we will have to ask the emperor to intervene."

"Thank you, Duke." Xu Guangqi bowed and thanked him, then walked towards the injured official.

Because of the ample manpower, all the officials involved in the riot were injured without exception. Sporadic blood splattered on the off-white floor tiles, adding a touch of cruel red to the already solemn Qianqingmen Square.

After the bandits withdrew, the cabinet members finally felt relieved.

Fang Congzhe, accompanied by three cabinet members, walked over to the injured officials and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xu Guangqi. "What are you doing? Making a scene in the Forbidden City? Is this what a minister should do?"

Xu Guangqi, who was still trying to comfort Fang Congzhe, had not expected Fang Congzhe to be so tough. "Prime Minister, this..."

Fang Congzhe stopped Xu Guangqi and continued, "Even if the noon court was held, this is not the way to report. Everyone, disperse!" Even if he didn't communicate with Zhang Weixian, Fang Congzhe was very clear that Cui Wensheng would not listen to reason, and if they made trouble again, these people would be beaten.

"Prime Minister, we want justice for Lord Nan Gao!" Zhou Chaorui's face still showed a stubbornness that had not yet solidified. This was the result of the whipping from the top of his head by the East Factory guards.

"Put on your black hat first and then seek justice." Fang Congzhe walked to Zhou Chaorui, half-knelt down to pick up the black hat that had been pulled off, and gently placed it on Zhou Chaorui's head.

"If you want to talk, go to Wenhua Hall and tell the cabinet first! Don't shout here." After the gentle words, there was a stern rebuke. "Jin Qing, you lead them there."

"Ji Hui, Yu Chen, please send the seriously injured officials to the Imperial Hospital, and ask Liu Yuanshi to help take care of them." After Ye Xianggao received the order, Fang Congzhe said to Liu Yirong and Han Yu.

"Okay." Liu Yirong looked at him deeply and asked thoughtfully, "Prime Minister, what are you going to do?"

"I understand your order." Fang Congzhe stood up, carefully avoided one wounded soldier after another, and then walked alone towards the main hall of Qianqing Gate under the watchful eyes of civil and military officials.

When Cui Wensheng saw Fang Congzhe coming, he quickly waved to the eunuch holding the imperial edict. The eunuch understood and immediately handed it over.

Cui Wensheng was clearly relying on his superiors to humiliate Fang Congzhe. But Fang Congzhe's calm face remained unmoved. He walked straight up the stone steps, lifted his robe, knelt, kowtowed, and shouted, "Your Majesty, Fang Congzhe, will obey the Imperial Order!"

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The Wenhua Hall is located on the eastern side of the Forbidden City, sandwiched between the Donghua Gate and the Huiji Gate, facing the Wuying Hall to the east and west. During the reigns of Emperor Chengzu Yongle, Emperor Yingzong Tianshun, and Emperor Xianzong Chenghua, the Wenhua Hall served as the Crown Prince's residence. According to the Five Elements theory, the east is associated with wood, and its color, green, represents growth. Therefore, like the other palaces occupied by the Crown Prince, the roof of the Wenhua Hall is covered with rare green glazed tiles, rather than the more common yellow ones.

From the Hongzhi reign of Emperor Xiaozong onward, because the crown prince was too young to participate in government affairs, or because there was no crown prince, Wenhua Hall became a convenient hall for the emperor to discuss government affairs and to hold imperial lectures in the middle of spring and autumn. During the Jiajing reign, the emperor, absorbed in building altars and refining elixirs to pray for immortality, gradually lost interest in performing various rituals, and Wenhua Hall became less frequented by the emperor.

When Liu Yirong returned from delivering the seriously injured official to the Imperial Medical Hall, he discovered that in addition to those seated on benches in the Wenhua Hall, there were also many officials standing. He made his way through the crowd and took his own empty seat, facing all the officials along with the six ministries and seven officials.

As soon as Liu Yirong sat down, Zhou Chaorui, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Personnel, stood up. But as soon as he opened his mouth, his words were immediately drowned out by the surging waves of noise.

Snapped!
Shen picked up the gavel and slammed it on the table. "Silence! Is this the Caishikou?"

"Zhou Chaorui, you go." Fang Congzhe called out the names after Wenhua Hall became quiet again.

"Prime Minister, do you recognize me?" Zhou Chaorui was a little surprised.

"You jump so high, it's hard not to recognize you." Before Fang Congzhe could speak, Shen took over.

"It's the same with Lord Shen." Zhou Chaorui retorted indifferently.

"Talk about things!" Fang Congzhe looked at Shen with dissatisfaction.

"Lord Fang, I want to ask about the court meeting first." Zhou Chaorui knew that Fang Congzhe received the order in order to get rid of Cui Wensheng, so as to prevent them from being beaten by the East Factory's henchmen again.

"No need to ask! I have already received the imperial edict. It is right in front of me." Fang Congzhe interrupted Zhou Chaorui.

"You are doing the emperor a disservice!" One official, whose left cheek was lashed with whips and flesh was torn, was still very excited. "Why should we fear being a minister who will die for our remonstration?"

"To do evil to you? Do you know what you are saying?" The person who scolded was Liu Yirong.

"Lord Liu, don't be in a hurry to distance yourself from this matter." Shen tilted his head to look at Liu Yirong, but the corner of his eyes never left the eunuch standing at the door of the palace.

"Lord Shen, I don't know what you are talking about. Shouldn't the cabinet refute such nonsense that insults the emperor and father?" Liu Yirong was not panicked at all. He put the hat back on.

"So, does Lord Liu also believe that opposing the reforms is a betrayal of the emperor?" Since Fang Congzhe had already publicly accepted the order, the Zhejiang Party no longer needed to be ambiguous about the court meeting. So Shen simply changed the phrase "swearing at the emperor and father" to "slandering the emperor and betraying his integrity," and used the opportunity to sow discord between Liu Yirong and the Donglin Party.

At this point, neither the answer nor the answer was correct. Liu Yirong's expression became noticeably grim.

"Enough!" Fang Congzhe shouted, interrupting the conversation and freeing Liu Yirong. He sighed deeply and said, "The fact that the court meeting has reached this point is the cabinet's responsibility, and even more so my responsibility. I never opposed the court meeting reform from the beginning, but I was afraid of the public outcry and the loss of my dignity. Now, the public outcry blames the emperor instead of me. I am a minister, but I cannot share the emperor's worries. I feel sorry for the emperor. The vicious slave is taking personal revenge and beating the officials, and I, as the Prime Minister, cannot stop it. If it were not for the British justice and help, I would be inconsolable today. I feel sorry for you all."

Fang Congzhe sighed again, then, before the astonished gazes of the officials, he took off his official hat and placed it beside the imperial edict. "After today's meeting, I will submit my resignation."

"Prime Minister?" Shen looked back at Fang Congzhe in disbelief.

Ever since Liu Yirong entered the cabinet, he had always hoped to have Fang Congzhe, the ineffective and even vacant position during Emperor Shenzong's reign, removed from the cabinet to vacate the position of Prime Minister. But now that Fang Congzhe had offered to resign, Liu Yirong felt no sense of accomplishment at all. For a while, the discussion raged, but no one raised the issue again.

"I want to say a few words about the court meeting." Li Ruhua suddenly stood up, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Just now you said that the Prime Minister was doing the emperor's disservice, and that you wanted to be a minister who would die for his advice." Li Ruhua looked at the whipped face of the official from the Ministry of Justice with the kind eyes that only an old man could have, and said slowly:

"I don't think you're trying to be a traitor to the emperor. When I was young, I was also a clerk, full of passion like you. Back in the Zheng and Luo dynasties, Zheng Xiangmin was the Minister of War, managing the four garrisons of Shaanxi, Xuanda, Shanxi, and other areas, while also overseeing the affairs of the Shaanxi Governor-General. He advocated peace with the enemy, and I impeached him for fearing the enemy and causing trouble."

"But later, when I really went to Shaanxi and Gansu to inspect border affairs and reclaim wasteland, I discovered that Zheng Xiangmin didn't advocate peace because he was afraid of the enemy. In the northwest border, there are ten garrisons, and all of them have empty pay. There is not a single general who does not suck the blood of soldiers, and not a single officer who does not embezzle military funds. How can we win a battle with such soldiers under our command? At that time, I thought that if I were to go there, I would probably only be 'afraid of the enemy and cause trouble'." A trace of regret suddenly appeared in Li Ruhua's turbid old eyes.

"It's easier said than done."

"In July of the 18th year of the Wanli reign, Zheng Xiangmin was appointed Minister of War and concurrently Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, General Manager of Northwest China and Governor-General of Shaanxi. In February of the 20th year of the Wanli reign, he resigned due to illness, having served in office for less than two years. Three years after Zheng Xiangmin left office, the imperial army and the barbarians jointly attacked Baerhu in Xining and defeated them."

"Everyone in the court can clearly see that this is all due to Zheng Xiangmin's meritorious service in pacifying the Rong people. But what good is that? Public opinion has already arisen, and Zheng Xiangmin was ultimately unable to push forward, and died in depression. And this so-called public opinion was instigated by my impeachment."

Li Ruhua's voice seemed to hold a calming power. As he spoke, he met the gazes that were cast upon him, finally resting on the face of the official from the Ministry of Justice.

"You said the Prime Minister was doing the Emperor a disservice. But is changing the daily court session to a ten-day session truly 'the Emperor's disservice?'" Li Ruhua paused, then bowed toward the Qianqing Palace. "The Emperor's change of court session benefited not the Emperor, but you gentlemen!"

"The Emperor resides in the Forbidden City, and to attend court he simply walks from the Qianqing Palace to the Qianqing Gate. Those of us in the cabinet and government offices, close to the Imperial City, still have to rise at 5:45 in the morning to attend court. You all reside throughout the capital, so when do you rise? Why don't you understand this principle?"

After discussing the matter at hand, Li Ruhua extended the topic further:
"The previous emperor neglected his duties, and years of war have left the Ministry of Revenue empty-handed, leaving officials in arrears. Yet, less than a month after ascending the throne, the Emperor has already thought of allocating funds to cover your unpaid salaries. To ensure you have a good year and don't have to worry about money, the Emperor has even ordered the Ministry of Revenue to pay the interest on your behalf. The Emperor cares about you and thinks of you in every way. What the hell are you doing?!"

At this point, some officials were already moved to tears. The official from the Ministry of Justice who had spoken out against Fang Congzhe's behavior towards the emperor was even more sobbing.

Li Ruhua wiped his eyes with his sleeve and cursed with a tone of disappointment: "Prime Minister Fang said he was unworthy of the emperor, but I think you are the ones who are unworthy of the emperor!"

"Your Majesty!" Yuan Huazhong suddenly fell to his knees, wailing loudly towards the Qianqing Palace. His kneeling was like a neatly stacked domino toppling from the center. Soon, there were no more low-ranking officials standing or sitting in the center of the hall.

They cried and shouted "Your Majesty" or "Long Live the Emperor" as if the Emperor had passed away.

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In the main hall of Qianqing Gate, Zhang Yanshang, Tang Zhong's godson and one of Wang An's godson grandsons, ran and pushed open the half-closed hall door. As he entered, he was shocked by the scene inside.

In addition to the emperor and his attendant eunuchs, there were two rows of large, armored generals holding spears. These were the most elite and loyal guards of the Imperial Stables.

"Just say what you want to say, don't just stand there like an idiot." Wang An said.

"Hello, Master! Hello, Master! Hello, Master!" Zhang Yanshang added the word "Hello, Master!" after seeing Shang Jingying's face. "The civil officials knelt down in the Wenhua Hall and cried, 'Hello, Master! Hello, Master!'"

"You're crying. Why?" Zhu Changluo turned over and sat up straight.

"To answer your Majesty, first..." Zhang Yanshang had been following the officials closely, seeing the entire process vividly, and thus described it vividly. If he could stand, he would have danced with joy. "This is what happened."

Zhang Yanshang felt that it was unlucky for the civil officials to cry like this, but he kept his godfather's instructions in mind and resisted the urge to comment on it. He just stated the facts and knelt there quietly waiting for instructions.

"Li Ruhua?" Zhu Changluo nodded and said to Zhang Yanshang, "You did a good job. Go out and call Cui Wensheng in, and then continue to watch over there."

Zhang Yanshang felt a surge of pride at the emperor's praise. "As you command!"

A moment later, Cui Wensheng walked in and, still performing the solemn ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, addressed the Emperor. "Your servant Cui Wensheng greets the Master, long live His Majesty!"

"Stand up and talk." Zhu Changluo waved at Wang An.

"Long live thanks!"

"You did a good job." Wang An understood and praised him first, then turned the topic around: "But the Imperial Household Department will still punish you."

Cui Wensheng was a little confused, but he still answered honestly according to the rules: "I will obey the orders of the ancestor."

"You punished the officials without asking for permission, which is an act of usurpation. Therefore, you will be fined this year's salary," said Wang An.

"I know I'm wrong." Cui Wensheng knelt down and kowtowed. It was a good thing to be able to take the blame for the emperor.

"The punishment will be announced on a later date. Now, you can take the people from the East Depot back home," Wang An ordered. "When leaving through Donghua Gate, you must pass through Wenhua Hall. You can make a loud noise, but don't go in."

"Yes, sir!" Cui Wensheng faced the dragon throne and backed out of the hall.

"Shang Jingying." After the palace door closed, Zhu Changluo stood up and stretched.

"I'm here." Shang Jingying quickly walked down from the Sumeru throne and knelt down waiting for orders.

"Once the soldiers from the Eastern Depot leave the Forbidden City, you will withdraw the guards assigned to the Qianqing Palace and the Ciqing Palace." Zhu Changluo ordered.

"According to the order!"

(End of this chapter)