Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 35: Ask Your Majesty to Reopen the Western Factory
Sigh. It seems that dealing with the Jinyiwei matter will have to be put off for a while. Let’s deal with the Dongchang matter first. Zhu Changluo thought.

"Lord Fang, tell me. Who does the cabinet want to hear this case?" Zhu Changluo pressured him. "If you can't tell me, go back. 'Compare to precedent'? Humph! The cabinet really knows how to talk."

Generally speaking, cases involving the inner court were not tried. The emperor would either shield those implicated or decree their arrest and punishment as he saw fit. If the emperor wanted to know the truth and sent someone to investigate, he would directly select trusted officials not implicated in the case (usually high-ranking military officers), without consulting the cabinet.

But this time, the emperor not only asked, but also insisted on an answer. The selection of candidates could only be done by the emperor himself, and any advice Fang Congzhe gave would be wrong.

"The cabinet's opinion is to hand this case over to the Imperial Household Department for investigation. The governor of the Eastern Depot is concurrently the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, so naturally the Imperial Household Department should be responsible for supervision." Seeing Wang An standing by his side, the confused Fang Congzhe could only come up with this suggestion of handling the matter which was as smooth as "compare with precedents."

"Oh? The Silijian Cabinet suggested that the Silijian should investigate the Dongchang?" Zhu Changluo stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Back to Your Majesty, yes."

"Then bring this up in the name of the cabinet during tomorrow's court meeting." Zhu Changluo nodded, forcing a smile. "You can leave now. I'm tired."

"I'll take my leave." Fang Congzhe felt that something seemed wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.

After Fang Congzhe left, only Zhu Changluo and Wang An were left in the huge Southern Study.

"Let that beast get in!" Zhu Changluo said in a deep voice.

Cui Wensheng had been listening intently since Fang Congzhe entered. Unfortunately, the voices inside were not very loud, so he could only make out fragments of words. But this was enough to terrify him.

"The emperor told you to get out." Wang An stood in front of Cui Wensheng and emphasized the word "get out".

How do I roll? There are stairs. After a moment's thought, Cui Wensheng adjusted his kneeling position to a lying position, rolled sideways to the bottom of the first step, and then used his hands and feet to "roll" up step by step. Fortunately, there were not many stairs in front of the South Study, and he was up in no time.

"Your servant Cui Wensheng pays homage to the emperor, Long Live the Emperor." Cui Wensheng's voice trembled.

"Do you have anything to say? Think about it first." Zhu Changluo walked up to Cui Wensheng, who was almost curled up in a ball. He didn't expect Wang An to really ask Cui Wensheng to "roll over".

Cui Wensheng rested his forehead against the floor, his breath swishing against the surface. He glanced up and saw Zhu Changluo's black shoes embroidered with a golden dragon. He crawled forward a little, resting his head against the toe of Zhu Changluo's shoes before speaking, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."

"Of course you're guilty!" Zhu Changluo shouted. "You were born into the family of Imperial Concubine Zheng, and yet I, far from forgiving you, have promoted you to high positions, including Chief Secretary of the Imperial Household Department and Commander of the Eastern Depot. What good have you done, you beast?"

Zhu Changluo picked up the impeachment documents from the table and smashed them on Cui Wensheng's head one by one.

"You don't think about being loyal to your king and serving your country!"

"Embezzlement of internal funds!"

"Let corruption run rampant!"

"A private torture chamber!"

“Blackmail!”

"Is this how you respond to my expectations of you?" Although he said this, Zhu Changluo had no expectations of Cui Wensheng at all. The purpose of Cui Wensheng's existence was to replace Wang An as the commander-in-chief of the East Factory.

The East Factory was so rotten that it could pluck the feathers of passing geese and make them fly away. No one in office could do anything about it. However, Cui Wensheng's actions still gave the eunuch a little shock. "You embezzled public funds to bribe subordinates, and then made up for the deficit through extortion. You are so capable! The whole court is laughing at me. You really made me proud!"

Sweat seeped from his pores, oozing through his sparse hair, condensing into beads the size of beans and dripping onto the ground. The emperor knew everything! Cui Wensheng wanted to open his mouth to defend himself, but found that he had no excuse. His throat rolled, his breath surged, his lips opened and closed several times, and finally, only four words slipped out from between his teeth: "I admit my guilt!"

"Just now, Lord Fang suggested that I hand your case over to the Imperial Household Department for trial. How do you think the Imperial Household Department should try and sentence you?" Zhu Changluo waved his hand.

Wang An understood. He walked over, squatted down, grabbed Cui Wensheng's hair and pulled it back, forcing Cui Wensheng to look up at the emperor.

"How should we conduct the trial?" Zhu Changluo raised the corners of his mouth, but there was no smile in his eyes.

Cui Wensheng didn't want to die. But he knew full well that if he went to court for trial, the worst outcome would be hanging. It wasn't impossible that he would follow in Liu Jin's footsteps and be sentenced to lingchi. "Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

"Write!" Zhu Changluo threw a pen and a stack of paper in front of Cui Wensheng. "Who took it, how did you take it, and how much did you take? Write it down clearly for me."

Wang An let go, and Cui Wensheng immediately pounced on the paper and pen in front of him like a beast that hadn't eaten for days. This was his only lifeline. As for betrayal, he'd already done it once.

The next day, the morning court was held at Qianqing Gate.

It has to be said that there was one benefit to Emperor Shenzong's 30-year absence from court. At least the censors would not protest just because the emperor was absent from court for one day.

When the civil and military officials lined up according to their rank and passed through the Wumen Gate, Huangji Gate, Huangji Hall, Zhongji Hall, Jianji Hall, and entered the Qianqing Gate to prepare to attend court, they found that a person was already kneeling in the hall.

There is no need to guess, the person kneeling there at this time must be Cui Wensheng.

"Long live our emperor! Long live! Long, long live the emperor!" Fang Congzhe took the lead again, performing the ritual of five bows and three kowtows to the emperor.

"Everyone is safe."

"Long live thanks!"

After the officials finished their ceremony, Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Rites who also served as the Minister of the Temple of Rites, sang loudly: "Report on the matter."

The position of Honglu Temple Minister was originally occupied, but Zhu Changluo did not want Xu Guangqi to just hold a nominal position. So he simply promoted the former Honglu Temple Minister to Nanjing to retire.

The cabinet's chief minister, Fang Congzhe, coughed twice, walked around Cui Wensheng, and knelt before the emperor, saying:
"'The case of Censor Zuo Guangdou impeaching Cui Wensheng, the governor of the Eastern Depot.' The Cabinet believes that although Cui Wensheng was in charge of the Eastern Depot, he was still the head of the Imperial Household Department, and the Imperial Household Department had the responsibility to review this case. Therefore, the Cabinet recommends that Cui Wensheng and his subordinates implicated in the case be handed over to the Imperial Household Department for strict investigation and punishment."

After Fang Congzhe left the Southern Study and returned to the Cabinet, he told his colleagues about the situation. Most of the cabinet members felt relieved but also a little worried.

On the one hand, Cui Wensheng's appointment to the position of East Depot Commander was largely due to Wang An's recommendation. Although Liu Yirong and Han Yu speculated that Wang An would not protect Cui Wensheng, the accuracy of this speculation remains uncertain.

On the other hand, the Imperial Household Department lacked an internal supervisory body or inspectors. A large-scale investigation of the Eastern Depot would inevitably require new personnel and the establishment of a new department. Whether this new supervisory body would extend its influence to the Outer Court was also unknown.

Fang Congzhe glanced at Wang An, who was smiling beside the throne, and felt uneasy. He always felt like he had walked into a trap.

"Okay!" Zhu Changluo nodded.

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Cui Wensheng, who was kneeling on the ground, kowtowed and said in front of everyone, "I am guilty! In order to investigate the corruption and extortion case of the East Inspection Factory and put an end to such things, I beg Your Majesty to reopen the West Factory!"

"Ah!?" Everyone in the room was shocked when these words were spoken.

(End of this chapter)