The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 312 Accident
"Xianmu, this..."

"Isn't that inappropriate?"

"How can the imperial system be altered on such a large scale?"

The Empress Dowager's obvious hesitation, coupled with the firm refusal implied in her tone, set off alarm bells in Li Xianmu's mind.

"Empress Dowager, this matter..."

“Prime Minister, before the late Emperor passed away, the Ming Dynasty was thriving. From this perspective, the Ming Dynasty did not have too many problems. In that case, it is better to remain still than to take any action. Maintaining the status quo should be the most advantageous course of action.”

As she said this, the hesitation in the Empress Dowager's tone had gradually disappeared, replaced by firmness. She then advised Li Xianmu, "Xianmu, I have seen your contributions as the Grand Secretary during the ten years of the Xuande era. I will continue to support you and will not allow anyone else to affect your governance."

It won't affect her rule, and she will continue to support it, but everything must be done under the current system and cannot be changed. That's the Empress Dowager's unspoken message!

This completely unexpected ending made Li Xianmu realize something he had been overlooking all along—

The Empress Dowager was ultimately not a real emperor!
Judging from her unwillingness to rule from behind the curtain, it can be said that she did not have a great desire for power, but it can also be said that she was unwilling to take on too much responsibility beyond her own scope of responsibility.

She had absolutely no interest in reform or institutional change.

What the Empress Dowager probably wanted was simply to be a successful maintainer of the status quo, handing over the empire left by Emperor Xuanzong to Emperor Zhu Qizhen after his personal campaign, intact and without much change.

There are so many other things she's unwilling to do!

Because the reform might fail, and such a change in the system might cause great chaos, the Empress Dowager knew that she was getting old and might not live much longer.

They are very likely to worry about being branded as a troublemaker in their later years!

Throughout history, emperors in their later years have only wanted to maintain the status quo and were unlikely to support any strong reforms, for the same reason.

The reason why Empress Dowager Zhang refused at this moment can be understood from this!
This realization almost instantly plunged Li Xianmu into an ice cellar, a chill seeping from his very bones and quickly filling his entire body, followed by a tingling sensation on his scalp.

If it were for other reasons, he could always find a way to solve it. But the supreme ruler has no ambition to explore and only wants to cling to the old ways. What should he do?

We can't be like Kou Zhun of the Northern Song Dynasty, who forced the emperor to personally lead an expedition, and he also forced the Empress Dowager to implement reforms.
He probably wouldn't even have to wait until the sun rose the next day before he was demoted to Jiaozhi to serve as an official.

In a moment of quick thinking, Li Xianmu forcibly suppressed his fear and said, "Empress Dowager, this matter has been reported to the emperor and is no longer just known to the cabinet. Even if it is not implemented today, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. All the other departments will surely find out and then attack us."

It even reached the point of being extremely chaotic and chaotic.

I wonder how the Empress Dowager will respond.
Even if we don't do this directly, we can deal with it later; we still need to come up with a solution.

Empress Dowager Zhang suddenly looked at Li Xianmu, her eyes flashing with a sharp light, "Minister Li, you mean..."

Li Xianmu forcibly suppressed all his thoughts. He naturally understood the dissatisfaction in Empress Dowager Zhang's words and decided to go all out and fight a desperate battle!
He stood up, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt in the Huagai Hall. His clear voice resonated throughout the hall, causing the floating palace to tremble. "The policy proposed by the Cabinet is of great benefit to the Ming Dynasty. The Empress Dowager has always been wise, and none of us five cabinet members ever imagined that she would disagree."

Therefore, when he entered the palace, he did not do anything to cover it up. Whether the matter he requested was accomplished or not, its impact was considerable.

This is a mistake by the Cabinet. As the Grand Secretary, I apologize to the Empress Dowager!

The only course of action now is for the Cabinet to take responsibility. I suggest that the Cabinet formally submit a memorial to the Empress Dowager at the court assembly. After the Empress Dowager refutes it, I should then submit a stern memorial, and the Empress Dowager can then use the charge of disrespect to demote me.

In this way, the Empress Dowager can give the court officials an explanation and make her stance clear: I have long been a thorn in the side of all the officials, and no one will use this matter to pressure the Empress Dowager anymore. This would be a win-win situation.

Your Majesty, I bow again. This matter is indeed my fault. I humbly request that the truth be rectified!

These words of apology were spoken with solemnity and sincerity. After hearing them, the anger that had risen in Empress Dowager Zhang's heart dissipated completely.

Deep down, she naturally believed in Li Xianmu.

The reasons given by Li Xianmu were quite convincing to her. After all, the idea of ​​splitting the government into six ministries did indeed sound beneficial to the country. Although she didn't understand much about government affairs, since it was a collective decision of the cabinet, it couldn't be wrong.

She had rejected the cabinet's proposal for personal reasons and was feeling a little uneasy. She didn't have time to think too much about it. When she heard that Li Xianmu intended to take all the responsibility on herself, she immediately stopped thinking about it.

He said with a gentle voice, "Xianmu, how can you be demoted because of this matter, a loyal minister who has been valued by successive emperors?"
Moreover, this matter is not wrong, both the court and the public..."

Hearing Empress Dowager Zhang's words, Li Xianmu felt reassured, knowing that his desperate gamble had paid off.

He raised his voice again, his face solemn, "Grand Empress Dowager."

This policy will surely cause an uproar in the court and among the people. Cutting off someone's future is like killing their parents. Once this policy is implemented, it will not only affect one person, but also many others. Unless the court makes a final decision, everyone will live in constant fear.

Just like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, it will not be returned to its sheath until blood is drawn!

Now this sword has been wielded against the Six Ministries and Five Temples. If it is to be withdrawn, only a person of sufficient stature can be sacrificed. Having searched the entire court, only this humble servant is that person.

Li Xianmu intensified his advice, aiming to first dispel the Empress Dowager's naive idea of ​​making others take the blame, and secondly to tell her that this matter could not be glossed over.

She has to choose between the two.

"During the Rebellion of the Seven States in the Han Dynasty, Emperor Jing of Han executed Chao Cuo, leaving the seven states in a state of confusion. Now that the Empress Dowager has demoted me, she will surely be able to show goodwill to the various tribes. A major event that could have caused an uproar in the court and the country will be averted without a trace!"

After Li Xianmu finished speaking, Empress Dowager Zhang was in a state of utter confusion. Although Emperor Jing of Han's execution of Chao Cuo was a brilliant political move, causing the rebellious seven kingdoms to lose their moral high ground and winning over vassal kingdoms such as Liang that were close to the court.

However, in historical records and in later history, Emperor Jing of Han has been criticized for over a thousand years, accused of being harsh and ungrateful. Empress Dowager Zhang certainly did not want to end up like that.

Besides, this is Li Xianmu! Her most trusted minister, how could she possibly demote her for such a trivial matter, such a small mistake?
If Li Xianmu were to be demoted, she would probably not be able to eat or sleep in peace, and the Ming Dynasty might collapse.
She simply didn't dare to gamble!
Moreover, although she did not want the Six Ministries and Five Temples to be in turmoil, she also did not want the Cabinet to lose power. If she really demoted the Grand Secretary Li Xianmu because of this matter, the Cabinet would definitely lose a lot of power, and the situation would change drastically and become unstable.

Empress Dowager Zhang was momentarily confused by a multitude of complex thoughts. It seemed to be a dead end, and the root of all this was the memorial submitted by the cabinet.

This was the first time Empress Dowager Zhang had encountered such a thorny issue since assuming power, and she gained a deeper understanding of the power struggles in the court, which were far more complex than what she had seen in the inner palace.

Once Empress Dowager Zhang understood this, she knew that she couldn't let Li Xianmu leave the court. To put it bluntly, Li Xianmu was now the greater protector of imperial power.

When Emperor Xuanzong visited her palace and dined there, he praised Li Xianmu, saying, "With the teacher here, the number of ministers from the outer court who come to pay their respects to my son has decreased by more than half. She is truly a strong bulwark for my son's imperial presence."

Isn't that just like now?
The reason why those troubles in the outer court couldn't reach the palace was precisely because Li Xianmu was leading the charge. If Li Xianmu were to leave, then he would have to deal with those people himself.

"Hesitation only leads to more trouble. Empress Dowager, there is no need to hesitate. Since I have made a mistake, I have brought this upon myself!"
"For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the stability of the court, I have no regrets!"

As the Empress Dowager's thoughts were gradually clearing, she heard Li Xianmu's last words, which struck her soul instantly. All her doubts vanished in an instant, and her eyes regained their brightness.

She hesitated for a moment, but quickly dismissed the hesitation. Pointing to the memorial presented by Li Xianmu, she solemnly said, "Xianmu, please explain the policy plans in this memorial from the Cabinet."

"what?"

Li Xianmu, who had been observing the Empress Dowager, feigned a timely look of confusion, then instantly revealed a look of "surprise," and said, "Your Majesty, regarding this policy, the Cabinet has this in mind..."

This plan was originally Li Xianmu's idea, so he was naturally the most clear about it. He explained the whole story and the possible problems to the Empress Dowager in detail.

The Empress Dowager listened, and her expression became more and more relaxed.

It didn't seem as difficult as she had imagined, nor did it seem as troublesome or turbulent as she had anticipated.

This was not a reform that would truly sweep across the entire country and affect countless people; it was merely an adjustment to the official system of officials in the capital. However, this adjustment was relatively large in scope, or rather, the largest since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

But the real impact is only on high-ranking officials. For the vast majority of people, there is no change. Moreover, this reform only applies to civil officials. As long as the nobility and military generals are not affected, it will not cause any major trouble.

Empress Dowager Zhang was unaware that she had already begun to find the advantages of this policy herself.

This has actually fallen into the "broken windows theory." She was originally unwilling to accept any major changes, but faced with the possibility of Li Xianmu being demoted and leaving the capital, and the decline of the cabinet's power, which would affect the four regents.

She still prefers to accept this "not-so-major" reform.

After Li Xianmu finished speaking, Empress Dowager Zhang pondered for a few moments. "Now that it sounds like this policy is indeed necessary, I agree to it. There is no need for court deliberation, lest things get complicated. An imperial edict will be sent to the cabinet later."

"Xianmu, this matter was initiated by the cabinet, so it should be handled by the cabinet. The late emperor left behind four regents, which are essential for the stability and peace of the Ming Dynasty. You must not disappoint the late emperor's expectations and lose the people's hope."

"I will keep this in mind!"

The two reached an agreement: Empress Dowager Zhang hoped that Li Xianmu would act quickly and decisively, so as not to drag things out and cause turmoil in the court; Li Xianmu, in turn, received Empress Dowager Zhang's delegation of authority over the matter.

Both of them were very satisfied with each other's attitude.

In particular, Li Xianmu, who had been on edge all day, finally relaxed. Although today's answers were brief, every word was on the edge of a knife. If he was not careful, the policy would die in the womb, which would be a great disadvantage for the cabinet.

Now that the mission is finally accomplished and the Empress Dowager has been persuaded, all that remains for her is the final breakdown and summary report.

Li Xianmu respectfully and slowly left the hall.

Empress Dowager Zhang watched Li Xianmu leave, and only after Li Xianmu's figure had completely disappeared did she realize that there was sweat on her forehead.

She was even more relieved that she had not ruled from behind the curtain; otherwise, how could she have handled such important matters every day? No wonder that in the later years of the Xuande reign, the emperor entrusted all political affairs to the cabinet and Li Xianmu, and was even criticized by the previous court for showing signs of neglecting his duties.

There are truly capable ministers in the cabinet, so there is no need to personally pay attention to everything. If there are any major events, the cabinet will naturally report them.

"The cabinet must be elevated; it is the core of the Ming Dynasty's current administration." Empress Dowager Zhang realized this.

After Li Xianmu left the Huagai Hall, a cool breeze blew, and he immediately realized that his back was already soaked with sweat. Today had been truly dangerous. Although there was no risk to his life, if the policy had been rejected, it would have been a waste of countless years.

One wrong step leads to many more!

Fortunately, he had a quick wit and took advantage of the Empress Dowager's high regard for him and the cabinet to quickly open a breach in this regard.

Li Xianmu secretly resolved, "This matter must be handled cleanly and efficiently. If it drags on for too long, it will be difficult to do anything in the future."

With these thoughts in mind, he hurried toward the cabinet.

At that moment, the blazing sun peeked out from the clouds, and the shadows on the palace walls and tiles vanished instantly, reflecting a dazzling golden light and a brilliant crimson glow!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The "splitting of six ministries" and the "reduction of large ministries into smaller ones" was one of the biggest political events in the early Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty.

This policy was proposed by the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, with the initial intention of concentrating the power of the central government in the Ming Dynasty into the Cabinet, thereby effectively making the Cabinet the prime ministerial institution that "commanded all departments" as it had during the Tang and Song Dynasties.

From the think tank and secretariat during the Yongle period, to the "High Officials' Consultation Office" during the Hongxi period, to the semi-prime ministerial institution and semi-secretariat with the "power to draft proposals" during the Xuande period, until the cabinet was strengthened again during the Zhengtong period, it had completely surpassed all other ministries and become the de facto semi-prime ministerial institution - the Foreign Minister.

The other half of the power was held by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, the inner court's chief minister, marking a new stage in the central political system of the Ming Dynasty.

As it turns out, even without an emperor, a group of professional bureaucrats, relying on a superior system, can still keep the entire empire functioning. — *The Evolution of the Political System in the Ming Dynasty*

(End of this chapter)