Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 488 Blame and Blame

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was not within the outer court. This can be clearly seen from the fact that the hall's entrance, Zunyi Gate, shared the same Inner Right Gate and the same corridor as Yuehua Gate, the western entrance to the Qianqing Palace courtyard, and Jinguang Zuo Gate, the gateway to the six western palaces.

In other words, without orders and guidance, outsiders would never have been able to enter this palace. Having never been here before, the officials were unaware of the palace's layout and furnishings. Even so, when the officials, having received the secret invitation, entered this I-shaped hall for the first time under Wang An's guidance, they immediately noticed something strange about this unfamiliar palace.

Above the north side of the main hall hangs a plaque inscribed with the Chinese characters "Nourishing the Heart and Minimizing Desires" written by Emperor Jiajing himself. This plaque has been hanging here since the hall was built in the 16th year of the Jiajing reign.

Directly in front of the four-character plaque, in the center of the hall, stood a low square pedestal. In its center sat the imperial throne. Behind it was a small-scale replica of the official screen from the temple, commissioned by Emperor Wanli. Directly in front of the throne stood a desk, slightly longer than the throne itself. To the left of the desk was a cushioned chair with a backrest. None of this was surprising; the overall layout resembled the furnishings of the Wenhua Hall's rear hall, only with the addition of a pedestal and additional chairs. The ministers didn't even have to think; they knew for whom the stool was intended.

What really stood out were the large wooden frames placed on either side of the low platform. On each of these frames hung a large map.

Minister of War Cui Jingrong and Shandong Coast Guard Deputy Commander-in-Chief Shen Yourong immediately recognized that the map on the left was a defense map of Shandong, Liaodong and the towns around the capital, while the map on the right looked like a map of Liaoyou and northern Korea.

The moment he recognized the two maps, all his doubts were resolved, and Prime Minister Fang Congzhe finally understood the reason for the summons. He turned his head and glanced at Xu Guangqi and Cui Jingrong out of the corner of his eye, feeling a sense of uneasiness inexplicably rising in his heart.

Shortly after the officials had settled in, a flurry of footsteps could be heard from the hallway behind the official screen. Then, the emperor, his eldest son, and Wang An, the eunuch holding the seal of the Imperial Household Department, appeared before them.

"Your Highness, we bow to the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Fang Congzhe led the other ministers, who knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"Prime Minister." Zhu Changluo sat down holding the armrest of the throne and nodded to Zhu Youxiao, but did not let the ministers stand up.

"I'm here!" Fang Congzhe knelt down and answered.

"Come here." Zhu Changluo spoke to Fang Congzhe and extended his hand to Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao understood and handed the "Petition to Suppress Rumors in the Capital" to his father with a serious face.

Wang An was able to conceal the truth from the emperor, so he could also conceal it from the eldest prince. If his father had not shown him this unissued memorial, he would have never known about it.

"Yes." Fang Congzhe's nerves tightened. He stood up and walked to the imperial desk. Just as he was about to kneel down, he heard the emperor say, "Take this memorial. The edict will be drafted today." Zhu Changluo took the memorial from Zhu Youxiao's hand, threw it gently on the desk, and the memorial slid in front of Fang Congzhe.

"Yes." Fang Congzhe swallowed his saliva and carefully took the question book from the desk. After taking a look at it, he immediately became nervous: After all, I still have to talk about this!

"Our ancestors had the Jinyiwei system," Zhu Changluo lazily leaned back on the cushions to his left, his eyes fixed on the carved dragon hanging on the caisson ceiling. "Any arrest warrant requires a royal letter and the signature of the Criminal Affairs Department before it can be carried out."

The emperor's tone was flat, but it was like the roar of a dragon, shaking Luo Sigong, who was kneeling on the ground, so much that he trembled all over. He didn't dare to breathe, as if he was waiting for the verdict.

"The Imperial Guards arrested people without the signature of the Criminal Department. Why didn't the department file a complaint? Instead, officials from the Xian and Yin departments filed a complaint?" No one present had expected the emperor's immediate target to be the Criminal Department. "Instruct the Cabinet to draft an edict similar to this one. Reduce the salaries of all officials in the Criminal Department by one level and impose a six-month salary fine. If such behavior occurs again, all officials in the department will be caned and demoted, with no further promotions allowed!"

"I obey your order." Fang Congzhe retreated to the open space in front of the imperial desk with the memorial in his hands, and knelt down to receive the order.

"The cabinet will draft another decree," Zhu Changluo continued. "Yuan Huazhong, the Censor of Henan Province in the Censorate, and Yuan Keli, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are sincere and loyal, which comforts my heart. I hereby award each of them 20 taels of silver and two pieces of silk as a reward!"

"I obey your order." Fang Congzhe responded again.

"I bow to thank the emperor for his grace." Yuan Keli was deeply moved and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"Luo Sigong," Zhu Changluo then looked at Luo Sigong.

"I'm here." Luo Sigong was completely numb, and his voice was trembling.

The memorial impeached the Imperial Guard. While the text contained more passages criticizing the Northern Pacification Division, the majority of those currently held in its prison were arrested by the Eastern and Western Offices. Now, the emperor had punished Tian Ergeng's godfather, Wei Zhongxian, punished those who failed to submit a petition when they should have, and rewarded the Xiantai and Yintai for their exemplary integrity. As for me, the protagonist of this illegal operation, I had no idea what kind of punishment I would receive.

"Aren't you getting senile?" Zhu Changluo cursed lightly and asked, "Why didn't you report it to the Criminal Investigation Department before arresting him?"

Why? Of course it was because the people from the Imperial Household Department came to the Commandery with Wang An's seal and asked him to arrest someone immediately. At that time, Luo Sigong just thought that time was tight and the task was heavy, so he didn't think too much about it. Anyway, the Criminal Department had degenerated into a system where people could just stamp anything. Even if there was such a procedure missing, it could be made up later. So he gave the order directly. Besides, Wang An was the kind of first eunuch who "stood while the emperor sat." Luo Sigong never thought that this old eunuch actually did it without the emperor's knowledge!

However, no matter how foolish Luo Sigong was, he wouldn't be as foolish as Xu Xianchun, who publicly attacked his superiors. Moreover, Wang An was still standing beside the emperor at this moment.

Luo Sigong gritted his teeth: Take the blame! I must take the blame!
"This old minister was foolish and anxious for a moment. He was so focused on investigating the case of disrespectful and treasonous remarks that he forgot to send someone to the Ministry of Justice to sign the imperial edict. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Luo Sigong followed the emperor's words and took on all the responsibility without mentioning the Imperial Household Department at all.

"Hmm," Zhu Changluo nodded slightly. "The laws established by our ancestors are all here. If you didn't follow them carefully, you should be severely punished. But considering your loyalty and your concern for the emperor, I will ask you to go to the Imperial Household Department and receive twenty family laws. You will also be fined two months' salary. This will not happen again."

"I thank the emperor for his grace!" Luo Sigong let out a long sigh.

This kind of punishment was done for show, so that all the foreign officials present would know that the disturbance outside was caused by the Jinyiwei, and that they had already been punished. As for whether the Jinyiwei's actions were prompted by higher-ups, that was up to you to guess.

"Okay, everyone, get up." Zhu Changluo sat up straight and looked away, only to find Zhu Youxiao looking at him with a puzzled expression. "Let's get down to business."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The ministers kowtowed and stood up. Zhu Youxiao also sat up straight.

"A few days ago," Zhu Changluo yawned. "Mr. Fang and Mr. Ye submitted a joint petition to me. It stated that a lieutenant general named Shen had come to Beijing to report on his duties with an official letter from the Ministry of War, but there was no record of this in the Ministry's hall. Therefore, they suspected that someone had forged the Ministry's seal and was playing tricks on the imperial officials." Upon hearing this, Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao exchanged a look of astonishment. Their petition didn't say anything like that.

"Let me clarify this. The Ministry of War is not at fault. No one forged its seal. The official letter was sent by Cui Qing, at my direction. As for why he wasn't allowed to register it, nor was he allowed to report it to the cabinet, it's because the matter was of grave importance and had to be kept secret." Zhu Changluo smiled at Cui Jingrong. "Even Cui Qing himself doesn't know the details."

Cui Jingrong felt warm in his heart, and suddenly felt that all the frustration he had felt these days was worth it.

Zhu Changluo called Fang Congzhe again. "First Minister."

"I'm here." Fang Congzhe replied.

"Do you know what's going on now?" Zhu Changluo asked.

When Fang Congzhe was stopped by Ye Xianggao and Shen Yourong on the way from Xihua Gate to Neiyou Gate, and realized he wasn't the only one summoned, he had another guess about the reason for the summons. If it was just to discuss Yuan Huazhong's memorial, there would be no need to summon Shen Yourong as well. Later, when he saw his own soldier, Cui Jingrong, in the East Side Hall, he became even more certain that today's summons was related to the unnamed document from the Ministry of War.

Now, the map of Korea is hung in the hall. The emperor himself said that the veteran general Shen Yourong, who had been to Korea, was sent with the secret order, and Xu Guangqi, who petitioned for guardianship, was also in the hall.

From the other side's philosophical point of view, the answer to this question is almost obvious.

Fang Congzhe answered calmly, but his heart was pounding. "I'd like to speculate: Is the Emperor planning to send someone to monitor Korea?"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a slight commotion in the hall. Everyone first looked at Fang Congzhe, and then slowly looked at Xu Guangqi.

Among the civil officials, only the deputy chancellor, Ye Xianggao, looked completely bewildered. He was completely unaware of the situation and didn't even understand why everyone was looking at Xu Guangqi. While Xu Guangqi's report, "The Liaodong region is in great danger," received the Wanli Emperor's customary "no report," Ye Xianggao was still living in retirement in his hometown of Fujian. By the time Ye Xianggao returned to Beijing, the matter of Korea's guardianship had faded into obscurity.

Tuk Tuk.

Zhu Changluo tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and the sudden agitation immediately disappeared without a trace.

"Mr. Fang is worthy of being the Prime Minister," Zhu Changluo smiled at Fang Congzhe.

The emperor smiled warmly, but this smile made Fang Congzhe feel an inexplicable chill on his back.

Initially, Li Tinggui's delegation, operating throughout Beijing, successfully influenced and even reversed negative public opinion against North Korea, directly branding Xu Guangqi, who had submitted a petition requesting the oversight of North Korea, as a disgraceful "North Korea skeptic." To avoid further trouble, Fang Congzhe himself followed public opinion, declaring North Korea a "loyal, obedient, and ceremonious nation," and thus sent Li Tinggui and his group back to North Korea.

In reality, Fang Congzhe had no choice but to follow public opinion. Xu Guangqi's memorial fell on deaf ears after entering the palace, with the Wanli Emperor not even approving it. At the time, Li Tinggui and others, seeking to "refute" the accusations, even blocked Fang Congzhe's path to the palace.

After stopping Fang Congzhe, the group burst into tears and insisted that Fang Congzhe accept their petition.

Regardless of the past, the emperor had already decided to send someone to supervise Korea, so his previous written statement was highly questionable.

Just as Fang Congzhe was feeling uneasy, the emperor slowly put away his smile and said solemnly, "Mr. Fang truly understands my feelings, but that's not entirely true. Joseon will certainly be under our guardianship, but before that, King Li Hun must be deposed and a regent appointed."

Even Fang Congzhe couldn't have imagined this. All the ministers present were stunned, and once again they cast doubtful glances at Xu Guangqi.

Xu Guangqi felt a silent, yet heavy, pressure. But he remained silent. He maintained a resolute expression, silently gazing up at the plaque in front of him that read "Nourish the Heart and Reduce Desires." The plaque seemed to give him strength, allowing him to defy pressure.

Zhu Changluo was pleased with Xu Guangqi's silent acceptance of the situation, but at the moment, he didn't need Xu Guangqi's help with anything. "Don't look at Xu Qing like that. Although he submitted the memorial to oversee Joseon, the dethronement of Li Hun was my sole decision. If you have any questions, please ask me directly."

Xu Guangqi felt the same emotion as Cui Jingrong.

"I have something to report." Ye Xianggao glanced at Fang Congzhe, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he stepped out and bowed.

"Speak." Zhu Changluo nodded.

"Your Majesty," Ye Xiang knelt high and said, "The Joseon Dynasty was the most obedient of all the vassal states. Deposing the King of Joseon is unprecedented since the Joseon Dynasty surrendered. Although our Celestial Empire is their parent country, if we do not depose the enthroned king for this reason, I am afraid that the whole country will be shaken and the country will be in turmoil. The chieftains in the southwest, the King of Shunyi in the north, and the many small states in the North and South Seas will regard our Celestial Empire as their master. I urge Your Majesty to be cautious!"

"I've already considered this," Zhu Changluo said. "I will depose King Yi Hwan on charges of ingratitude, double-crossing, and collaborating with foreign enemies, and appoint Yi Hak, the crown prince of Joseon, as regent. Once the rebels are annihilated and Liaodong is pacified, I will formally enthrone Yi Hak as King of Joseon and remove his guardianship. The throne remains in his lineage, and if the Heavenly Official doesn't visit his country, how can there be any claim of unjust cause?"

Xu Guangqi looked at the emperor in surprise, but he quickly understood. The emperor had clearly reconsidered and changed the plan he had previously discussed. Xu Guangqi strongly agreed. Compared to directly deposing the lineage of Yi Gong, deposing the old king and enthroning a younger ruler was indeed a better approach. This approach would cause much less shock to the Joseon court than enthroning Yi Gong, and would also significantly reduce the pressure of governance and the difficulty of maintaining stability.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Xu Guangqi echoed.

"Oh," Zhu Changluo laughed inexplicably and asked Fang Congzhe again. "Prime Minister, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty is a divine being who rules the world and has wise and thoughtful thoughts. I am listening to your wise words and feel happy for them!" Fang Congzhe knelt down and praised the emperor without any hesitation.

(End of this chapter)