Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 266 Wang An's Confusion and Jinyiwei's Internal Adjustment
"Master Wang, what is the Emperor thinking?" As the two of them walked out of the Qianqing Palace together, and before the eunuchs accompanying Wang An caught up, Li Mingcheng pulled a five-hundred-liang silver note from his sleeve pocket, thrust it into Wang An's hand, and begged him to explain his confusion. "Please tell me."

"You are too polite, my Lord." Wang An not only confiscated Li Mingcheng's banknotes, but also stuffed something into his hand. Then, Wang An turned around and instructed the eunuchs who were gradually gathering: "Stay away, don't get so close."

"What's wrong with you?" Li Mingcheng looked down and his cheeks, which were originally red with excitement, immediately turned pale.

"It seems you recognize this thing." Wang An said indifferently.

"Does the emperor know?" Li Mingcheng held the badge tightly, afraid that others would see it.

"Do you think the emperor should know?" Wang An asked back.

"Thank you, Master Wang, for rescuing me." Li Mingcheng bowed and groveled, completely unbecoming of a marquis. "I will certainly give you a generous gift in the future, a generous gift!"

Wang An didn't quite understand what Li Mingcheng was talking about. After a few breaths, he finally realized that Li Mingcheng thought he had suppressed the matter for his sake.

"Haha." Li Mingcheng's foolishness tired Wang An. He chuckled twice and decided not to give up on the witty remarks. "The body is still lying in the mortuary of the Military Affairs Department. Please have it taken away and disposed of as soon as possible."

"Which military division?" Li Mingcheng asked.

"What do you think?" Wang An said with a wry smile, "Of course it's Nancheng." He truly didn't know what was going on in Li Mingcheng's mind. As for Wang An's personal likes and dislikes, he had little affection for Li Mingcheng, who always had a bad reputation. He had only forced his way into resolving the matter out of consideration for Empress Dowager Li's kindness to the Emperor and a desire not to burden him.

"Okay." Li Mingcheng nodded repeatedly and asked, "What about the Tianjin case?"

"The case is closed after the fugitive is caught." Wang An turned his head and rolled his eyes twice. "You should know where this person is, right?"

"I know, I know." Li Mingcheng nodded continuously.

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After separating from Li Mingcheng, Wang An took a sedan chair to the Jinyiwei Command Headquarters.

Although Wang Chengen reported that the person who had acted without authorization was Luo Yangxing, the temporary commander of the Eastern Office, that beautiful excuse could only fool a child. Not only Wang An, but even Li Mingcheng would probably not believe it.

Wang An knew very well that a half-baked acting governor like Luo Yangxing would not have the guts to act on his own and defy the orders of the Imperial Household Department. He must have Luo Sigong's guidance behind him.

The sedan chair landed, and the eunuchs who were accompanying him immediately came over and opened the curtain for Wang An.

Wang An stepped out of his sedan chair, stepped onto the blue bricks, and walked silently into the headquarters. The soldiers guarding the gate and the officers passing by all recognized Wang An or the robes he wore. They all bowed deeply in greeting.

Just as he had calmly faced the eunuchs' kneeling homage in the palace, Wang An ignored any of the officers. Instead, he walked straight into the main hall of the Commander's Office, came to Luo Sigong's desk, raised his head slightly, and looked down at him.

Seeing Wang An's attitude, Luo Sigong felt uneasy. He quickly put down his brush, not caring if the ink on the tip would splash onto the document and stain it. Luo Sigong quickly walked to Wang An, bowed ninety degrees, and said with the proper etiquette of an official, "Greetings, Wang, the Seal Holder."

"How dare my old and decayed body accept the worship of you, Luo Weishuai?" Wang An said harshly and even took a small step to the side. However, Luo Sigong's humble attitude still made him look a little better.

"Master Wang, you are truly embarrassing me." Luo Sigong didn't stand up, but instead adjusted his body to follow Wang An's steps. "I cannot come to greet you from afar, Master."

After a while, Wang An returned the greeting with a slight bow. "General Luo, please find a room and have a cup of tea with me so we can have a few private conversations."

"It's my honor." Luo Sigong waved his hand to guide him. "Please come this way."

Arriving at the quiet room, Wang An was the first to sit down on the guest seat, and Luo Sigong was not arrogant and sat on the main seat facing south.

After the officers who had been serving tea and charcoal had closed the door and left, Luo Sigong immediately stood up. He walked over to Wang An and, under his astonished gaze, knelt flat on his knees. "Sigong acted unjustly and caused the eunuch in charge of the seal to worry by not informing the Imperial Household Department first. I hope you will forgive me."

"Enough! Enough!" Luo Sigong's bow and kneel dispelled all the little resentment in Wang An's heart. He quickly stood up, held Luo Sigong's shoulders before he kowtowed, and said gently: "Don't be like this. Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teacher. I can't bear your great courtesy. Get up!"

"Please forgive me, Master."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please get up. I have to thank you for saving my face." Wang An thought to himself that if Luo Sigong had gone to the Imperial Household Department first to explain his thoughts to him, Wang An might not have listened. He would probably have suppressed Luo Sigong as he had suppressed Wang Chengen.

Wang An, though a person of the moment, was often confused. He had been the eldest prince's tutor since the 22nd year of the Wanli reign, and the emperor's previous image was deeply etched in Wang An's mind. Luo Sigong, on the other hand, was a more discerning observer. He began effectively managing the Jinyiwei's printing duties in the 44th year of the Wanli reign, when the "Piercing Attack" case had been closed, and he had essentially no close contact with the then crown prince. It was only recently that he began to interact with the emperor more frequently.

This resulted in their deducing results being significantly different, even though their underlying premises for understanding the divine will were similar.

In Wang An's mind, the palace's internal purge, while indeed aimed at cleaning up the Ming Dynasty's accumulated malpractices, was ultimately nothing more than the master's discipline of his servants. Wu Qinghou, however, was different; he was the master's grandmother's nephew and a close member of the emperor's family.

But Luo Sigong didn't think so. He positioned himself as a minister rather than a servant. He believed that the emperor wanted a brave general who could fight. The emperor would not take the initiative to kill Li Mingcheng for the sake of the royal family's reputation, but at the same time he would not want to let a waste like Wu Qinghou continue to suck the blood of the army.

"Thank you, Master Wang, for your forgiveness." Luo Sigong then stood up from the ground and sat side by side with Wang An. In fact, Wang An had been worrying too much. Even if the emperor summoned Luo Sigong to the palace for questioning, Luo Sigong would not say anything about not listening to the eunuchs' orders. This was just asking for trouble. He had eaten too much and offended Wang An to death. "Alas!" Wang An sighed deeply and asked in confusion: "Master Luo, I have the honor to serve the emperor and accompany him as he grew up. But as the emperor has really grown up, I began to feel a little scared. Tell me, am I really old?"

Luo Sigong was startled. He certainly wouldn't go along with Wang An's words, but immediately denied it, "No! You were in your prime, destined to serve the Emperor for the rest of your life. How could you be so self-pitying? You assisted His Majesty in drastically cleaning up a century of accumulated abuses in the palace. Your brilliance was no less impressive than that of Eunuch Zheng, who assisted Emperor Chengzu in his quest for universal renown."

"Really?" Wang An grinned.

"How could this be false?" Luo Sigong smiled back.

"You and your son are both good at talking. No wonder the emperor likes you." Wang An shook his head slightly, but he still felt a little warm in his heart.

"I am a worthless person, but I have been mistakenly favored by the emperor." Luo Sigong suppressed his spontaneous joy and changed the subject to the case: "How should this case be handled next?"

"The case will be closed once the man is arrested." The witty remarks were made in the open air, while the words were spoken in the dark. Wang An, without concealing anything, said bluntly, "Your son's investigation is on the right track. The Marquis of Wuqing has already taken the fake plaque. Tell the military command to return the body of that lackey to him."

Wang An thought for a moment and said, "The fugitive has taken a trip down the canal to Hangzhou to hide. Send a team down there to bring him back."

"You still have to live." Luo Sigong stretched out his thumb and gestured horizontally across his neck.

"Alive. He needs to give a confession about what happened in Tianjin. Once he's arrested, take him to the prison." Wang An wanted to say the imperial prison, but thinking of the relationship between Luo Sigong and Tian Ergeng, he changed his mind and said, "You can take him to any place. Be careful to be tactful during the interrogation. In short, get a confession that will not be disputed. The court cannot interfere in this case. The emperor has decided to let the Marquis of Wuqing return home to retire. You must bear some responsibility. The civil servants are ignorant. If the matter is exposed, they will not understand the emperor's gratitude to the old empress dowager. They will only try to gain a reputation for being fearless of the powerful."

"I know." Luo Sigong's face was calm, but he couldn't help but feel a little proud of having understood the emperor's intentions. At least for now, everything was going as Luo Sigong expected.

Wang An nodded in satisfaction. "After the trial, we will sentence the fugitive to death for his crimes of disregarding human life and embezzling grain. He won't be allowed to live any longer." These two charges were clearly limited to Shen Caiyu himself, and did not involve any collusion or communication between the higher-ups.

"Yes." Luo Sigong responded again.

"Okay. This troublesome matter is over." Wang An's face was still a little lonely. He took a sip of tea, and after a little refreshment, he asked, "How are you handling the matter of Nansi?"

"The list of judges has been drawn up." Luo Sigong asked, "Shall I bring it to you now?"

"Goodbye." Wang An waved his hand. "Send it to the Imperial Household Department. Where's the replacement?"

"Nine out of ten people in the north are not capable of important positions. I would like to ask His Majesty to organize a special military examination to directly select new people." Luo Sigong said.

Luo Sigong, the head of the Jinyiwei, certainly bears responsibility for the corruption in the local areas, but it would be wrong to blame him entirely. At the very least, the Ministry of War should be brought into the picture.

Within the Jinyiwei system, the power to appoint and dismiss officers theoretically rested entirely with the emperor, granting or removing officers with a single imperial edict. However, in practice, this authority was shared between the Commandery and the Ministry of War. If a position became vacant, the Guards' Chief could recommend a replacement. However, if the position remained open, the Guards' Chief could only resort to impeachment. Unless the Guards' Chief enjoyed the emperor's absolute trust, as Lu Bing or Zhu Xizhong did, these recommendations, essentially recommendations, would often be passed on by the emperor to the Ministry of War. After all, the emperor couldn't individually assess each individual's suitability.

After the Wanli Emperor, the emperor's indolence allowed the Ministry of War to legitimately nominate the descendants of civil officials who had received official positions through patronage to serve as officials in the Imperial Guard and the Northern and Southern Pacification Offices. For example, Luo Sigong's predecessor, Wang Zhizhen, who served as the head of the Imperial Guard from the 40th to the 44th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, was the grandson of Wang Chonggu, the governor of Shanxi and Xuanda who presided over the "Altan tribute ceremony" during the Longqing Emperor's reign. Tian Ergeng, now a godson to Wei Zhongxian, was admitted to the Imperial Guard because his father, Tian Le, had been instrumental in pacifying Gansu, a title that would extend to three generations and benefit his descendants.

To be precise, during the Wanli reign, guard generals like Luo Sigong, who came purely from a Jinyiwei family and had not produced a single civil servant in the Ministry of War for generations, were actually a minority.

"I have remembered what you mean. I will tell the emperor when I get back. There is no need to rush local affairs. They cannot be finished in a day or two anyway. What about Beijing?" Wang An asked specifically: "The governors of the East and West Offices and the Street Offices, the captains of each thousand-household office, and the assistant officials. Have you decided who to use?" This time, the emperor decided not to transfer the replacement of the senior officials of the Jinyiwei to the Ministry of War as usual, but to have Luo Sigong recommend them, conduct background checks with the West Factory, and finally meet them in person.

"I want to replace the chief officer of the Western Secretariat with Wang Shisheng. He was a military scholar in the 38th year of Wanli, and currently serves as the chief captain of the Right Thousand Households Office." Luo Sigong said.

The current governor of the Western Department had a good relationship with Luo Sigong, and he had never failed to pay tribute to him over the years. But Luo Sigong was not going to keep him any longer.

"What is your reason for recommending Wang Shisheng?" Wang An asked.

"Each office is understaffed and all of them are drawing salaries without working. If all the existing officers are dismissed, there will be chaos in the capital. So I want to keep some of those whose corruption is not so serious and promote them for use. They are familiar with basic affairs and can be used right away. In general, it's about seven cuts, two retained, and one promoted." Luo Sigong said.

"Is Wang Shisheng a member of No. 1 Middle School?" Wang An asked.

"Yes." Luo Sigong nodded and said, "The Southern Division has verified it. The Right Thousand Households Division under Wang Shisheng's command is the least likely to draw unpaid salaries among the five divisions in Beijing. Moreover, Wang Shisheng's strategy and martial arts are relatively outstanding, making him a promising talent."

"Okay. I'll remember him." Wang An silently memorized this name in his heart.

"We can have Zhang Maozhong take over as the governor of the Jiedaofang. He's the grandson of Zhang Xueyan, a Qianhu official with a salary. In the 17th year of the Wanli reign, he passed the imperial examination and was promoted two levels. He currently holds the salary of a clerk, but has no official duties." Without waiting for Wang An to ask, Luo Sigong said, "My reason for recommending him is simple. At least for now, Zhang Maozhong has no verified misconduct."

"Zhang Xueyan?" Wang An felt that the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember it for a while.

Luo Sigong reminded him at the right moment: "Zhang Xueyan was once the governor of Liaodong. When Zhang Wenzhong was surveying the land all over the country, he was the Minister of Revenue."

(End of this chapter)