The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 144 Words Speak Louder Than Words

Like the frigid winds of the far north, carrying chilling frost, it swept across the vast, untouched ice plains, circled and peered over the top of Yinshan Mountain, then passed through the Yanshan Mountains, brushed past the golden and purple palace gates, and landed on the Huagai Hall!

It felt like falling into an ice cellar.

You can hear a pin drop.

Almost everyone present was a shrewd and intelligent person.

The atmosphere in the Hall of Literary Glory was so stagnant that it was as if the air itself had been condensed into tiny particles, and every slight breath felt like a knife scraping across flesh and blood.

"His Majesty?"

Only Li Xianmu actually called upon the emperor again.

The other officials in the hall felt a surge of admiration; under such circumstances, Li Xianmu still dared to speak.

Call a deer a horse!

What difference is there between Ji Gang's actions and calling a deer a horse?
The emperor's face was grim; even an ordinary old farmer could see that he was extremely indignant.

"Hong Bao?"

Zhu Di did not answer Li Xianmu, but looked at the eunuch beside him. For Zhu Di, the five chief eunuchs who had served him since the Jingnan Rebellion were still the ones he trusted the most.

Hong Bao's expression hardened; he certainly knew why the emperor had called him by his name.

His mind raced, and he immediately knelt on the ground before launching a fatal attack on Ji Gang. "Your Majesty, Commander Ji is indeed skilled in managing his subordinates. Last time, Commander Ji even jokingly told me that he could help me train the palace eunuchs so that they could better serve Your Majesty."

Civil officials and the Embroidered Uniform Guards acted as monitors, and their relationship with those being monitored was naturally one of mortal enmity.

The relationship between eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guards was even worse. As close attendants to the emperor, they were natural competitors; if one had more power, the other would inevitably have less.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) vied for power with civil officials on the outside and with eunuchs on the inside. However, they were not as good at governing the country as civil officials, nor as good as eunuchs in gaining the emperor's trust. Their decline was almost inevitable.

Li Xianmu merely went with the flow; with just a few words, he managed to bring Ji Gang into the fray, making him both a target of public criticism and a source of fear for the emperor.

Today, Li Xianmu is quite tactless.

Seeing that the emperor was about to lash out, he spoke again, "Those who achieve great things throughout history have not been bound by trivial matters. Zhou Yafu of the Han Dynasty, when he was in the camp at Xiliu, even when Emperor Jing of Han was there, his army did not yield. Thus, he forged a powerful army that would later be able to quell the Rebellion of the Seven States. Commander Ji Gang is such a person who has achieved great things. Your Majesty's trust and use of him is enough to show that Your Majesty is also a wise ruler of our time."

At this moment, Li Xianmu spoke eloquently, even comparing Ji Gang to Zhou Yafu, a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Moreover, judging from his posture, he even compared Ji Gang to other people, as if he really thought Ji Gang was good at managing his subordinates!

"enough!"

Seeing that Li Xianmu was about to give more examples, Zhu Di could no longer contain his anger and loudly interrupted Li Xianmu, then said with obvious sarcasm, "Ji Gang is nothing but a lackey, how can he be compared with famous generals of the past?"
Xianmu, you are still too young and do not understand what it means to manage subordinates!
This is a rebellious act!

Li Xianmu, his face filled with terror, knelt before the emperor with a thud, and said in a flustered voice, "It is my fault, I..."

"I truly do not know..."

Zhu Di was clearly furious. His beard stood up and his chest heaved. He even stood up from the throne and paced back and forth in the hall before shouting, "What kind of dog is he? Can he compare to Zhou Yafu's importance to the Han Dynasty?"
They're nothing but my pet dogs. How dare they treat the Imperial Guard, the emperor's personal army, as their personal fiefdom?
They're utterly clueless and reckless.

It seems I have favored him too much in the past, and indulged him too much, which has caused him to develop such rebellious thoughts!

Li Xianmu knelt on the ground, head bowed, saying nothing.

The emperor's reaction made him secretly smile and breathe a sigh of relief.

This was obviously something he did on purpose!
Just now, his words of calling a deer a horse almost put Ji Gang in a dead end, but that was something he got by risking his life. Afterwards, with Zhu Di's shrewdness, he would surely have figured it out. How could Li Xianmu not know the story of calling a deer a horse?
Li Xianmu deliberately said this, wasn't he using the emperor? His intentions are despicable.

Therefore, even though Li Xianmu did use the allusion of "calling a deer a horse" to kill Ji Gang,

It's something I might do but can't say!

Li Xianmu had to deny this, and he wanted the emperor to believe that he only considered it a matter of governing his subordinates.

Only in this way could Li Xianmu dispel the emperor's suspicions and truly extricate himself from the Ji Gang affair.

This is a psychological battle, and it is Li Xianmu's second confrontation with the emperor without almost everyone realizing it!
He was caught off guard and won a great victory!
After this incident, Ji Gang is completely finished!
Since the incident of "calling a deer a horse" was not a frame-up by Li Xianmu, but a fact that actually happened, the emperor only needed to send someone to investigate to reach a conclusion. Moreover, Ji Gang had committed other rebellious and illegal acts, such as taking the emperor's concubines into his own residence and even hiding armor, which was enough to warrant his death ten or a hundred times over.

The reason he was able to live freely before was simply because the emperor was protecting him. But the emperor would protect a corrupt minister who works for him, but he would never protect a minister with rebellious intentions.

Li Qi, high above, had been watching his son closely. From the moment the Crown Prince was rescued until today's execution of Ji Gang, he had witnessed the entire process. He was gratified that Li Xianmu was able to take charge of the overall situation, but he also shook his head with a sense of helplessness.

“Something seems off. I’m using the semi-saintly talent that focuses on academics. The data shows that my academic talent is above 95, no problem!”
He is someone who should have become a great Confucian scholar or even a sage, but his academic level has not yet been demonstrated.

He could effortlessly provoke and anger the emperor in court, eliminate a minister with a single word, and then escape unscathed. It seemed he was increasingly developing into a master of political maneuvering. This sage, despite his profound scholarship, was also incredibly adept at political maneuvering?

If Li Xianmu knew what his father was thinking, he would surely laugh loudly and say, "How many sages have ever succeeded in everything throughout history?"
The Confucian sage traveled to various states, but was trapped between Chen and Cai, unable to put his talents to use.

Han Fei, a sage of Legalism, died in a Qin prison.

The sages of the Mohist school have long since turned to dust, and their ideals of universal love and non-aggression have long been abandoned.

The sages of Taoism have never accomplished anything of great significance.

Even the greatest saint cannot resist the power of authority; only by using power as a guarantee can one become a true saint.

The father always wanted his son to be a saint, a saint of high moral character admired by the world, and the father had already become one.

Then the son must become a true sage who governs the world, even if it means bearing the name of a great thief!

"Damn it!"

When Zhu Di thought of the scene Li Xianmu described of calling a deer a horse, he was filled with uncontrollable rage. After cursing Ji Gang, he shouted, "Hong Bao!"

"Chen is here!"

Hong Bao responded loudly, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Immediately send men from the inner court to arrest Ji Gang. Tell him he has no need to defend himself anymore and to be executed by slow slicing. Then send men to seize his mansion and confiscate his property so I can see if there are any rebellious elements in his house. As for his family members, kill those who should be killed and exile those who should be exiled. Make sure no one escapes, as a warning to others. Do it quickly!"

Zhu Di was a decisive and efficient man. After deciding to abandon Ji Gang, he immediately ordered the chief eunuch to arrest Ji Gang.

When they saw Hong Baoxing rushing out of the hall, the people in the hall seemed to wake from a dream, and then looked at each other in disbelief.

Ji Gang, the once arrogant and domineering commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who intimidated the court, died just like that?
Such a childish death! Such a sudden and unexpected death!

It should be noted that the matter discussed in the palace today has absolutely nothing to do with Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
Who would have thought that he would be the first high-ranking official to die because of sorcery?
It's like discussing whether to have your cake and eat it too, but then a pheasant suddenly appears, and lunch becomes roast chicken – it's as absurd as that.

The next moment, their gaze fell on Li Xianmu, who was still kneeling on the ground with his head down.

The reason Ji Gang is in such dire straits today is because Li Xianmu praised him twice, which ended up touching a sensitive nerve with the emperor.

Was Li Xianmu doing it intentionally or accidentally?

Was it intentional or accidental?
terrible!

Li Xianmu remained unfazed by the probing gazes of the crowd, his expression still bearing the same helpless look as before.

It's baffling, and the inside story is impossible to guess.

Regardless of the truth, they all had to admit that this seemingly harmless young man had sent Ji Gang, whom the court and the people hated and feared, to his death with just a few words.

While everyone was still stunned, Li Xianmu’s voice rang out again, “Your Majesty, if Ji Gang has rebellious intentions, then the matter of the Embroidered Uniform Guard must not be a coincidence. Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince has been framed?”

Your Majesty is truly terrified!
Who would have thought that someone in the Ming Dynasty would dare to lay a hand on His Highness the Crown Prince, the heir apparent appointed by His Majesty!

Ji Gang truly deserves to die!

The one who dared to attack the Crown Prince was not Ji Gang, but the King of Han.

However, Li Xianmu knew the importance of knowing when to stop. Now that the emperor had just taken down Ji Gang, it would be difficult to implicate the Prince of Han.

Moreover, the King of Han has a great weakness. We can wait until he is with the emperor later and then find a way to make the emperor dislike the King of Han.

The most important thing now is dealing with the aftermath of the sorcery; the emperor probably has no other thoughts on it.

Li Xianmu's words startled everyone, reminding them that their visit to the palace today was not for the matter of discipline, but to discuss sorcery.

The emperor also came to his senses. He really didn't want to get involved in the matter of Ji Gang. Moreover, compared to the mere Ji Gang, the fact that the officials of various provinces had colluded to deceive him, the emperor, was what he resented most.

If it weren't for the fact that the crown prince was among them, he would have already started a massacre.

Let all the officials in the land know who the true master of this vast empire is!

"Although Ji Gang was rebellious and the Crown Prince was framed, the provincial officials who knew about it but did not report it were also making a grave mistake. Do not think that just because I killed Ji Gang, the provincial officials will be safe!"

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became even more tense than before.

Although these officials knew the true nature of the matter—that's how the bureaucratic system always is—the emperor wouldn't want to hear such words.

“Local officials have always acted this way. From ancient times to the present, there has been a tradition of local officials resisting the imperial court. Only a wise and virtuous ruler can govern them.”

Li Xianmu said with emotion: "Your Majesty, the reason why local officials can block the eyes and ears of the court must be because there is an imbalance in the current system between the court and the local governments."

Now that provincial officials are deceiving the imperial court, people should be sent to investigate and punish those guilty among them!
If this matter is not severely punished, wouldn't the court's prestige be completely destroyed?

The sorcery originated in Jiangnan, yet Jiangnan could not report it, which nearly implicated the Crown Prince and endangered the nation. I deeply resent this!

"I request to travel to Jiangnan to inspect the region, investigate the corrupt officials there, and bring them to the capital to deter all officials throughout the land!"

For the first time since the officials entered the hall, Zhu Di smiled. As Li Xianmu finished speaking, he immediately laughed loudly, "Among all the officials in the court, Xianmu, you are the most courageous in taking on responsibilities. At this moment, only you dare to speak out. My other officials know the truth but dare not say more."

Only you dare to defy the world; it seems you remember the favor I showed you in the past.

The emperor's words, which were so scathing, caused everyone to change color instantly. They immediately knelt down and cried out in unison, "Your Majesty, we are guilty."

Li Xianmu seized the opportunity and laughed, "After all, I am His Majesty's nephew. If I say something, no one will dare to do anything to me."

"Your Majesty, what I just said is extremely important. Jiangnan is the birthplace of the Ming Dynasty and a vital center of finance and taxation. The capital's taxes and provisions all depend on Jiangnan; it is of paramount importance and cannot be neglected. I request permission to travel to Jiangnan to investigate for Your Majesty!"

Zhu Di pondered for a moment and said, "What you say makes a lot of sense. It's not just Jiangnan; I think we should send people to inspect all the provinces in the country. Among the officials in these provinces, those who are the ringleaders should be punished to uphold the order of the court!"

Inspecting the provinces?

Governor of the Han Dynasty?

As the emperor finished speaking, those four words appeared in everyone's minds. Li Xianmu smiled inwardly; this was exactly what he had intended.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The emperor would send court officials to local areas for supervision, which was naturally within Li Xianmu's expectations, as this has always been the way the court controls local areas since ancient times.

During the Han Dynasty, it was called a governor; during the Tang Dynasty, it was called an inspector; and even in modern times, there are central inspection teams.

The only difference is that in ancient times, due to the inconvenience of transportation, these supervisory agencies would eventually set up offices in the local area and eventually become higher-level agencies. In modern times, with convenient transportation, they can return to the capital after completing their inspections.

Li Xianmu volunteered to go to Jiangnan in order to guide the emperor to establish an official position similar to that of the Han Dynasty's governor.

His maternal grandfather abolished the position of prime minister at the central level, placing power in the hands of the Six Ministries, and divided provincial power into three parts at the local level. While this maintained the authority of the imperial family, it was extremely harmful to the entire country.

The issue of the central and local government system had been discussed between him and his father before his death.

The harms of the imperial court abolishing the prime minister system will not be elaborated upon further.

Excessive decentralization of power at the local level has caused great harm, as it hinders smooth communication between the imperial court and local authorities.

Above the three provincial-level departments, there should be a person in charge to better fit the overall political structure.

If it were Zhu Yuanzhang, he would naturally not want to have powerful regional officials, but since Zhu Di was able to implement the cabinet system, it was not impossible for him to add another governor to the local area.

Even though the position of governor was not permanent during the Yongle reign, once a precedent was set, Li Xianmu would be able to do even more once Zhu Di died and Zhu Gaochi came to power.

Zhu Gaochi was in poor health and would certainly not outlive him. Once he reached the pinnacle of seniority and power, he would be able to implement these established systems one by one.

They even overturned ancestral precepts and restored the prime minister system!
His youth is his greatest asset!

(End of this chapter)