Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 369 Meeting with Mongolian Envoys
Although the memorial from Luo Sigong, the head of the imperial guards, caused a commotion in the Qianqing Gate Hall, the emperor's suppression prevented the imperial court, which was primarily based on scripted readings, from turning it into a chaotic discussion. This routine court session, which took place every ten days, still lasted less than an hour.

After the court was dismissed, everyone went about their business. The ministers and the supervisors of the two factories returned to their respective offices to do their work, while the princes attended lessons with their teachers. Only Wang An, Wei Chao, and Liu Ruoyu, the three "study eunuchs," accompanied the emperor to the main hall of the Qianqing Palace to change his clothes.

When Zhu Changluo returned to the main hall, Consort Kang Li Zhulan had already left. But when he stood in front of the mirror again, he could still hallucinate that ambiguous and charming touch.

This feeling of touch was not an illusion; someone was indeed caressing and rubbing him. However, the person doing so was no longer a concubine, but the humble and obedient eunuch Wang An.

"Are there any clues about what happened yesterday?" Zhu Changluo suddenly asked.

Wang An paused for a moment, then quickly resumed his movements. "My Lord," he said, "Duke Chengguo, Marquis Fengcheng, Earl Yongnian, Earl Pingjiang, Earl Boping, Earl Guangning..." Wang An rattled off a long list of titles, like a dish. Finally, he added, "Yesterday, the residences of these lords all sent people to the Qinghua Garden of Marquis Wuqing."

Wang An investigated the matter through two channels: the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard would submit surveillance reports on important figures to the Imperial Household Department every day. By simply reading these reports, one could know which people in the mansion had left the city yesterday.

However, the Jinyiwei's reports were incomplete, as many nobles, especially the various hereditary barons, had no real power, were not important figures, and had no potential to endanger imperial power. Unless they had real missions, the Jinyiwei would not waste precious manpower and funds specifically to monitor them.

Therefore, Wang An activated the second line, the proactive East Factory line. He sent someone to Cui Wensheng with an order. He ordered the East Factory to send personnel outside the city to secretly monitor every entrance and exit of Tsinghua University. Regardless of whether they were entering or leaving, they were to immediately send someone to follow any sedan chairs that emerged.

Generally speaking, if the guests at the party had a good time, they might stay overnight and not return to the capital. This line might not be closed so quickly. However, a regular court meeting was to be held today, and all the nobles in the capital, regardless of official position, who had not requested and received permission for leave in advance, were required to attend.

The clues were retrieved, and Wang An obtained a relatively complete and detailed list. However, with this method and the current level of investigation and control, he could only determine which lords had sent people to the Wuqing Marquis's luxurious gardens. As for whether the lord himself had gone there, it was difficult to verify.

"Why? Why would the Marquis of Wuqing summon so many people to him?" Zhu Changluo took off his black gauze Yishan crown, which bore the image of two dragons playing with a pearl, and placed it on a tray. Shi Fuming, who was standing by, immediately came over, took it away, and placed it in an unlocked cabinet.

"The East Depot is still investigating," Wang An said, after putting away the emperor's bright yellow uniform. He then unfolded a looser, lighter black dragon robe and slipped the cuffs over the emperor's hands. He then moved around to tie the belt. "We'll have to wait a while to find out." Even as Wang An spoke, East Depot spies had already begun infiltrating Tsinghua University.

"Yes." Zhu Changluo took the pure black Wusha Yishan crown that Shi Fuming brought and put it on his head. "Is the Yangxin Palace ready?"

"Everything is ready." Wang An replied.

"Very good." Zhu Changluo nodded. "Notify the Siyi Hall. Have them bring Lindan Batur's envoy to the Yangxin Palace this afternoon. Have Zhu Youxiao come as well."

"Yes."

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In the 16th year of the Jiajing reign, Zhu Houcong, the "Great Supreme Heavenly Immortal, Chief of the Five Thunders, Great True Man, Xuandu Realm, Wanshou Emperor," completed a new hall south of the Six Western Palaces to facilitate his practice of Taoism and alchemy. Upon completion, Wanshou Emperor named the hall "Yangxin," after the phrase "nourishing the heart is best achieved through few desires" from the Mencius verse. However, the Jiajing Emperor did not remain here for long. In the 21st year of the Jiajing reign, following the Renyin Palace Incident, the emperor relocated to the Western Garden, practically leaving the Forbidden City, a place of deep sorrow, for good.

On February 21, the first year of Taichang, after lunch, the emperor and his eldest son met in the Yangxin Palace with the envoy sent by the Khan of the Left Wing of Mongolia, Borjigin Lindan Batur, who was also known as Borjigin Amudaihong Taiji.

The scale of this reception was very small. Apart from the emperor sitting on the dragon throne and the eldest prince sitting on a small stool with a stern face, there were only the eunuch Wang An who was in charge of the seal of the Imperial Household Department, Wei Chao, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, Fan Jishi, the Junior Secretary of the Taichang Temple and the Governor of the Four Barbarians Hall, Li Kezhuo, the Left Secretary of the Honglu Temple who was responsible for translation, and some accompanying personnel who were responsible for recording.

According to custom, officials from the Ministry of Rites were supposed to be present during meetings with foreign envoys. However, because Minister of Rites Xu Guangqi was still reviewing papers at the Imperial Examination Hall, and the positions of Left and Right Vice Ministers were vacant, the Ministry's seal of authority was held by Minister of Personnel Zhou Jiamo. Consequently, the Ministry of Rites' responsibility fell to Yu Delong, the Director of the Ministry of Rites' Department of Guests and Officials.

This was Amudaihong Taiji's first time entering the Forbidden City, and also his first time meeting the Ming emperor. The prosperity of Beijing and the grandeur of the Forbidden City amazed, even horrified, this Mongolian noble, a lifelong resident of the steppes. Previously, the largest city he had ever seen was Guangning, the trading post between the three thousand households of Zuoyi and the Ming. In his opinion, Guangning was already enormous, its bustling market and bustling merchants far exceeding the new capital of Chahanhot, built by Ligdan Khan. Yet, Guangning was less than half the size of the Imperial City, let alone the capital itself.

Even so, Amudaihong Taiji did not perform the elaborate Ming Dynasty-style ceremony between emperor and minister. Instead, he simply followed the etiquette he would use when meeting Ligdan Khan. He then said, "Hutuktu Khan's envoy, Borjigin Amudaihong Taiji pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May Tengri bless you."

Li Kezhuo, the Left Secretary of the Honglu Temple, translated it as: "The envoy, the Borjigin Amudaihong Taiji, pays homage to the Emperor, wishing him long live, long live, long live, and to the Emperor's eldest son, wishing him a thousand years of life. May the Eternal Heaven bless the Emperor and his eldest son." As Amudaihong Taiji performed the ceremony, Yu Delong, the Director of the Ministry of Rites' Department of Guests and Officials, cast a quizzical look at Fan Jishi, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Rites and Superintendent of the Four Barbarians' Hall. Yu Delong, a native of Zhenjiang Prefecture in Southern Zhili, knew no Mongolian, but as an official of the Ministry of Rites, he could not help but turn a blind eye to Amudaihong Taiji's disrespectful etiquette.

Fan Jishi had already discussed the etiquette with Amudaihong Taiji. However, Amudaihong Taiji refused to learn. His excuse wasn't that it was disrespectful to the emperor, but that he was too old and stupid to learn. Fan Jishi then submitted a memorial to the emperor, suggesting that there was no need to meet with the barbarians, and that the Four Barbarians' Hall, in conjunction with the Honglu Temple, could simply communicate with them and convey the emperor's wishes. However, the emperor refused to listen and insisted on meeting, leaving Fan Jishi with no recourse.

Seeing Fan Jishi ignoring him, Yu Delong spoke up, "Even His Highness Bushitu, the Prince of Shunyi, who commands the Right Wing, would be required to perform the formalities of a subject and a monarch when meeting His Majesty. You are merely the envoy of an untitled Mongol chieftain from the Left Wing. How can you not perform the formalities of a subject and a monarch?"

Yu Delong's voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. Amudaihong Taiji naturally didn't understand. Although he had represented Ligdan Khan on numerous diplomatic missions to the Ming Dynasty, he always brought an interpreter with him. His own Chinese was limited to basic words like "hello," "thank you," and "delicious."

Amudaihong Taiji cast a questioning glance at Li Kezhuo, who had been representing the Ming court and acting as an interpreter for the past few days, but Li Kezhuo completely ignored him, only glancing at the emperor from the corner of his eye to see his reaction. If the emperor nodded, he would translate, otherwise, forget it.

The emperor didn't react much, but Wang An, who was standing next to the emperor, had a strange expression on his face.

Yu Delong's actions reminded him of the zealot Liu Guangfu, who, during the time of the "Piercing Attack" incident, had loudly pleaded in the Cining Palace for a thorough investigation and severe punishment. Liu Guangfu's outrageous remarks had landed him in prison for five years, until he was pardoned in the first month of the 48th year of the Wanli reign. After ascending the throne, Emperor Taichang, contrary to Emperor Shenzong's order that Liu Guangfu "never be reappointed to a new position," issued an imperial decree to reinstate him. However, the world is unpredictable, and Liu Guangfu died before he could take up his post.

Zhu Changluo didn't want to dwell on the question of formalities. He looked at Yu Delong, his lips curled slightly. "Since Lindan Batur hasn't been enthroned, he's a foreigner, and his troops don't need to follow the royal protocol. I can sense the obedience and respect in his demeanor and words, and that's enough. Please take a seat."

Li Kezhuo understood and skipped the conversation between the emperor and Yu Delong, translating: "Although the foreign envoys do not follow the imperial etiquette, Your Majesty can still feel their respect. Please take a seat." As soon as Li Kezhuo finished speaking, a young eunuch brought a low wooden stool for Amudaihong Taiji.

Yu Delong was not a lunatic like Liu Guangfu, who would not continue to "bark and act recklessly" after the emperor had given him a clear signal. He retreated and said no more.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Amudaihong Taiji thought Li Kezhuo's translation was a bit short. But he was still very satisfied to be able to sit and talk with the emperor. This seemed to be a good start. He sat down firmly on the stool, without any of the restraint that Ming officials often showed when meeting the emperor.

As soon as he sat down, Amudaihong Taiji couldn't wait to speak. Li Kezhuo translated as he spoke. "Your Majesty. Hudun Tuhan ordered me to come here, first to congratulate Your Majesty on your accession to the throne, and secondly..."

Whether intentionally or not, Zhu Changluo did not like Amudaihong Taiji's preemptive move. Before the other party could say a few words, Zhu Changluo raised his hand to interrupt Li Kezhuo's translation. Li Kezhuo stopped translating, and Amudaihong Taiji gradually fell silent.

"Compared to my joy at ascending the throne, I'm even more grief-stricken by the loss of my father." Zhu Changluo followed Amudaihong Taiji's words, seizing the opportunity to shift the conversation back to himself. "To live up to my father's trust, I haven't slacked off for a single day, and today is no exception. If Lindan Batur simply came to congratulate me on my ascension, I understand. If the envoy has nothing else to say, he may return to Chahanhaote and report."

Li Kezhuo translated the emperor's words to Amudaihong Taiji without reservation. Amudaihong Taiji was a little anxious. He adopted a submissive attitude and said, "Your Majesty. Hudun Tuhan has ordered me to come here not only to congratulate Your Majesty on your accession to the throne, but also to mourn the passing of the late emperor. Last year and the year before, the late emperor graciously granted our Khanate annual rewards. I, the Great Khan, am deeply grateful for this favor."

As Li Kezhuo was translating Taiji Amudaihong's speech, Zhu Changluo looked at Wang An and asked, "How long did the annual bonus last year end?"

"My Lord, the annual reward is paid monthly, totaling 40,000 taels of silver. It began in April last year and has been distributed continuously. Naturally, it will stop in April this year." Wang An finished his answer and turned to look at Li Kezhuo. Li Kezhuo was stunned for a moment, then translated the truth to Amu Daihong Taiji.

"Forty thousand taels, so much. I'm afraid the annual reward will have to be reduced this year?" Zhu Changluo seemed to be muttering to himself, but Li Kezhuo still translated it for Amudaihong Taiji.

Amudaihong Taiji was even more anxious. The main reason Ligdan Khan had sent him here was to negotiate with the Ming court for an extension of the annual reward, ideally even more. If the annual reward was reduced instead of increased, he didn't know whether the Chahar tribe and the Ming would become enemies, but he would definitely be punished if he returned. "Your Majesty, this annual reward cannot be reduced."

"Why not?" Zhu Changluo chuckled. "Father gave you annual rewards so that you could assist the Ming Dynasty in its campaign against the traitorous Jianzhou traitor Nurhaci. But what did you do in the entire 48th year of the Wanli reign? Did you send any troops? No, did you?"

Amudaihong Taiji quickly said, "In matters of war and peace, it has always been important to send envoys before sending troops. Your Majesty, you may not know this. Our Khanate has already sent envoys to deliver a letter to the Jianzhou Nu tribe, ordering the traitor Nurhaci not to attack the Ming without authorization."

After receiving the Ming Dynasty's reward, Ligdan Khan did take appropriate action. He dispatched an envoy with a letter of credence to the Later Jin. In the letter, Ligdan Khan described himself as "Baturu Genghis Khan, Lord of the 400,000 Mongols," and disparagingly referred to Nurhaci as "Lord of the 30,000 Jurchens on the waterfront." He claimed to have personally visited Guangning and incorporated it into his sphere of influence, a significant step toward elevating his status. He warned Nurhaci, the "Lord of the Jurchens," that invading Guangning would be tantamount to invading the territory of the "Lord of the Mongols."

"So what? Did Nurhaci listen? Did he stop before winter arrived?" Zhu Changluo sneered. "When our Ming Dynasty soldiers were fighting the bandits, where were your reinforcements? Did they go to Beiguan to recover the Yehe tribe, or did they go to Jianzhou to directly attack the bandits' lair? Your envoys were all killed by Nurhaci, and you didn't even send any troops."

(End of this chapter)