The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 261 The Last Edict
No sooner had Li Xianmu stepped out of the palace gates than an imperial edict flew out from the inner palace: The emperor has fallen slightly ill and needs to rest for several days; all court assemblies, lectures, and audiences are to be suspended.

Everyone in the court knew that the emperor's health had always been poor, so his absence due to illness did not arouse much suspicion in the court and among the public.

The only thing that made the six ministries somewhat dissatisfied was that the cabinet had become a channel for communication between the inside and outside, which made them feel that their authority had been infringed.

After all, since the abolition of the prime minister during the Hongwu reign, it was an ancestral system that the emperor directly held the position of minister of the Six Ministries.

However, the cabinet, whose power had been steadily increasing since the late Yongle reign, was no pushover.

The current cabinet consists of six people, all of whom hold the title of Minister, making them true high-ranking officials of the court.

Since the first year of the Hongxi reign, the Six Ministries had been subtly suppressed by the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet in various aspects because the emperor trusted them. Now that it was not a direct superiority but a temporary system during the emperor's illness, they decided to tolerate it after some thought.

Suppress departmental power and elevate cabinet power.

This is Li Xianmu's goal, and achieving this goal will be a very long process.

Because power is actually based on the conventions and agreements of people's hearts.

You only truly have the power when the majority of people believe that you deserve it in your position.

After the Tumu Crisis, the duties of the Five Military Commissions were not stripped away, nor was the authority of the Ministry of War expanded, but actual power was transferred to the Ministry of War, which is why the situation changed.

Nowadays, in the minds of officials, cabinet ministers are no more powerful than ministers.

In the eyes of the people, Li Xianmu and others held power primarily because of the emperor's trust.

For example, Huang Huai and Jin Youzi, who were also cabinet ministers, clearly did not have the power of the Three Yangs or Li Xianmu.

The outer court remained peaceful and prosperous, but the inner court was already shrouded in gloom and despair.

Because the emperor had not woken up, he was only able to survive on liquid food and ginseng, but he was still visibly getting haggard.

……

The afternoon sunlight, as if filtered through a layer of old gauze, spread a grayish-white light on the steps. Li Xianmu ascended the steps, the hem of his robe brushing against the newly sprouted moss on the jade steps. After entering the hall, he bowed to Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the side hall.

Zhu Zhanji's eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice, "He still shows no sign of waking up."

The eyes of everyone in the hall darkened.

The emperor has been in a coma for seven days and still shows no signs of waking up. Even the usually optimistic Li Xianmu has long since become worried and suspects that the emperor may really be going to die prematurely.

Suddenly, a palace servant rushed into the Hall of Literary Glory, exclaiming with delight, "Your Highness, His Majesty has awakened!"

Everyone in the hall rose to their feet in a flurry, their faces filled with surprise and joy. Li Xianmu even grabbed the eunuch's shoulder and asked loudly, "You said His Majesty has woken up?"

"Yes, it is."

Zhu Zhanji also came down, exchanged a glance with Li Xianmu, and went to the side hall without hesitation. All the cabinet ministers followed and rushed to the side hall's sleeping quarters.

The side hall and the inner palace were dark and gloomy. As soon as you entered the inner palace, you could smell a strong medicinal smell, like a tangible tide hitting your face.

Li Xianmu looked around and saw that the windows were tightly closed, and not a breath of wind could get through. Only a few scorching rays of sunlight squeezed in through the gaps and fell on the floor tiles.

No wonder there was a humid and hot atmosphere in the hall!
Li Xianmu frowned, suppressing his anger, and ordered the palace servants in the hall in a deep voice: "Go and bring the windproof curtain to His Majesty, place it between the window frame and the sickbed, and then open the window a crack."

In this hot weather, if we don't open the windows for ventilation, all the sick air will stay inside; even healthy people will get sick from the fumes.

The palace maids hurriedly went down to prop up the window lattices.

Li Xianmu then looked at Zhu Gaochi and saw Zhu Gaochi and the others smiling at him. Zhu Gaochi, who had not eaten properly for many days, was even weaker at this moment. Even with ginseng soup to replenish his energy, a pale and ashen look appeared on his face.

This somber, grayish hue was precisely the reason why Li Xianmu and others had despaired a few days earlier, believing that the emperor might die in a coma.

"Your Majesty," Li Xianmu stepped forward and said softly, afraid that speaking too loudly would disturb the emperor.

Zhu Gaochi grasped Li Xianmu's hand, then noticed the cabinet members following behind him into the palace. Leaning against Empress Zhang, he weakly smiled and said, "You've all come too?"

Seeing the emperor so weak, almost all the cabinet ministers burst into tears, kneeling before his sickbed and sobbing uncontrollably.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. When Emperor Taizong of Tang passed away, some ministers were even willing to be buried alive with him. In the end, it was Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi who said that Emperor Taizong did not allow people to be buried alive with him, and the matter was dropped.

Although Zhu Gaochi did not possess the literary and military prowess of Li Shimin, he was kind and righteous to his subjects. Countless ministers in the court were grateful for his kindness. He kept Emperor Zhaolie's words, "Only the wise and virtuous can win people's hearts," in mind and put them into practice.

Empress Zhang, Zhu Zhanji, and Li Xianmu, hearing the weeping around them, also had tears welling up in their eyes. For a moment, the hall was filled with sobs, and the atmosphere was heavy with grief and sorrow.

"Alright." Zhu Gaochi still smiled, but there was a deep reluctance in his eyes. He knew his physical condition best, and said in a low voice, "This time... this time I was able to wake up, it is already... Heaven's... mercy that allows me to be sober and tell you some things before I die."

The emperor paused several times, even breathing heavily, before finally managing to utter this short sentence. Empress Zhang quickly bowed, tears rolling down his pale hand: "Your Majesty, you haven't eaten for days. Perhaps you should rest a while. I'll allow you to..."

Zhu Gaochi shook his head slightly, his gaze passing over her and settling on Zhu Zhanji's face. "It is already a blessing that I was able to wake up this time. My days are numbered, and we cannot waste them. Have the palace servants prepare a bowl of ginseng soup for me."

"Prince..."

Zhu Zhanji crawled half a step on his knees, resting his forehead on the edge of the bed, his voice choked with emotion: "Your son is here."

“Send someone to summon Xia Yuanji, Minister of Revenue, Jian Yi, Minister of Personnel, and Zhang Fu, Duke of Ying.”

Zhu Gaochi paused, as if gathering his last breath, "The cabinet should bring the imperial seal... I... don't have much time left, I want to leave a will."

The hall was silent.

When the two ministers and the Duke of Yingguo were summoned to the palace, they were very confused. The emperor had been ill for several days and the crown prince had been handling the affairs of state. Why were they suddenly summoned to the palace?

But like the cabinet ministers, when they saw the heavily armed soldiers in the palace, they immediately realized that things were not simple. And when they thought about the emperor's illness, the truth was almost obvious!

Therefore, when they entered the palace and saw the seriously ill emperor, although they were still shocked and at a loss, they were somewhat prepared.

Upon closer inspection, they found only the Empress, the Crown Prince, and six cabinet ministers in the hall. At that moment, Xia Yuanji and Jian Yi deeply felt the close relationship between the cabinet and the Emperor. Such an important matter was known only to the cabinet ministers.

"My three ministers have arrived." Zhu Gaochi slowly sat up, leaned against the sickbed, and said softly, "As you can see, I... am dying."

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the hall knelt on the ground and cried out in unison, "Your Majesty, please retract your words!"

"Hahaha." Zhu Gaochi laughed softly, "What's there to take back? I'm really no longer capable."

The courtiers fell silent.

"Xianmu, you take the pen. I will read it, and you will write it down. Leave the edict here first, in case I faint."

The three Dukes of England then realized that the Emperor had been in a coma for the past few days, and was not merely ill!
The news was naturally intended to keep it from the King of Han, and those who came here today to hear the imperial edict were the emperor's most trusted ministers and the true pillars of the court.

Li Xianmu laid out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Zhu Gaochi stared at the dragon-patterned gauze curtain above his head, feeling as if his soul had already ascended to the heavens.

Countless events and people flashed through his mind. Among the four people who had the greatest influence on him in his life, one was his father, the Yongle Emperor; one was his mother, Empress Xu; one was his uncle, Li Zhongwen Gong Li Qi; and the last was Li Xianmu.

The parents didn't mention it.

Although Li Qi did not spend much time with him, he left a deep imprint on his character, while Li Xianmu influenced him through his actions.

He was inherently benevolent, and under the influence of this father and son, he became even more benevolent and...

It largely abandoned the style of infighting between the emperor and his ministers during the reign of Emperor Taizu.

Only the emperor's weak yet calm voice could be heard from his sickbed within the palace.

Emperor Wen of Han once said, “All things under heaven are born and die; death is the natural order of heaven and earth, the natural law of all things. What is there to be particularly sad about?”

I wholeheartedly agree.

The emperor is the most honorable person in the world. People regard the emperor as their father. The emperor's funeral is always grand and complicated, and all subjects must pay their respects. I strongly disapprove of this practice.

After my passing, the common people of the realm need only observe three days of mourning, and the princes and ministers only seven days. If this period is exceeded, my already limited virtue will dissipate further.

Li Xianmu replaced the emperor's spoken language with appropriate and elegant words, which is why the ministers who drafted imperial edicts all had to use beautiful language.

“My uncle-in-law, Li Zhongwen, once explained ancient classics to me. When he was explaining Mencius, he was silent for a long time when he came to the line ‘He who first made funerary figurines, will he have no descendants?’ and then he only said ‘unrighteous.’”

When the emperor finished speaking, the hall fell silent again.

Most Confucian scholars know this passage.

The saying "He who first created funerary figurines, will he have no descendants?" is often interpreted by uneducated people as Confucius admiring the Zhou rites, and that using funerary figurines is disrespectful to ancestors, suggesting the restoration of funerary sacrifices.

However, the connection between the preceding and following parts of this passage is very close.

The Book of Rites also clearly records that Confucius said that those who make straw figures are good, while those who make funerary figurines are not benevolent. Is this not a matter of employing people?
So what is a churning spirit?
In ancient times, those who performed burials used bundles of straw to create human figures as attendants, called "straw spirits," which were only vaguely resembling human forms. In the Middle Ages, these were replaced with funerary figurines, which then had facial features and gestures, and greatly resembled humans. Therefore, Confucius abhorred their lack of benevolence and said that they would surely have no descendants.

The Duke of Zhou's trampling on the Yin-Shang culture was very thorough. Heaven and earth are ruthless and treat all things as straw dogs. The Duke of Zhou completely replaced the funerary sacrifice with bundles of straw. The funerary figurines were too similar to humans and were only one step away from being used for human sacrifice. Therefore, Confucius immediately cursed them when he saw them.

Why does Your Majesty say all this?

(End of this chapter)