The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 314 Exclusive
The whole city was in an uproar.

There was an uneasy calm within the cabinet, as if a storm was about to break.

As the court session was about to begin, Yang Shiqi and the others sat nervously, looking at Grand Secretary Li Xianmu. Li Xianmu was calm and composed, as if he had no idea what important matters were about to be discussed. His composure, which remained unchanged even in the face of a collapsing mountain, made the four of them somewhat lost in thought.

"Shiqi, Zirong, are the lists of departments to be reorganized prepared for the upcoming court assembly?"

"Everything is ready."

Upon hearing this, Li Xianmu stood up, straightened his clothes, and looked around at the group. "Then we should go to court."

The group stood up together.

It was called a court session, but it wasn't a proper court assembly.

Instead, it was a meeting to discuss matters.

Therefore, officials did not need to enter the palace in the dark of the early morning, nor did they need to wait outside the palace for a long time. Officials of all ranks from the various departments of the capital stood all the way from inside the Fengtian Hall to outside the hall.

Golden glazed tiles, a wooden, almost black structure, square windows, and tall pillars supporting the curved roof.

Armored soldiers lined up on both sides of the palace gate, exuding an imposing and solemn aura.

The five cabinet members walked in together, and countless eyes fell on them, each with a different expression. In just twelve years since the reign of Emperor Hong Xi, the cabinet has become the core of the country's political affairs.

Looking back to the Yongle era, even a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, standing before the Ministers of the Six Ministries, was still like a lackey.

But now, less than a generation later, the six ministers are inferior, even backed into a corner, and have lost their last shred of dignity. Truly, fortunes change.

Li Xianmu and the others walked through the hall without changing their expressions, and then lined up at the front of the civil officials in the main hall.

The cabinet consisted of not only four regents, but also Li Xianmu, who was a first-rank Grand Tutor, and Yang Shiqi and others, who were at least first-rank Grand Tutors to the Crown Prince. Their qualifications, merits, and abilities far surpassed those of the other officials in the palace.

As Li Xianmu always said, after the deaths of Xia Yuanji, the former Minister of Revenue, Jian Yi, the former Minister of Personnel, and the former Left Censor-in-Chief, Li Xianmu's opponents could no longer find anyone who could rival him.

If Li Xianmu's goal was merely to become a powerful and influential minister, enjoying wealth and honor, then he had already succeeded.

Even ministers who held different political views from Li Xianmu were unwilling to oppose him.

pity.

Li Xianmu was unwilling to be just that kind of minister.

He always cherished his ideals and never forgot his ambition to bring peace and prosperity to the world. He also never forgot the seven regrets his father had before his death.

After the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager led the Emperor into the hall and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

Emperor Zhu Qizhen sat on the throne, looking at the officials below with some curiosity. From his perspective, most of them had tense faces, which looked somewhat frightening.

The Empress Dowager did not speak directly, but looked at Li Xianmu and said, "Prime Minister, we may begin."

After bowing, Li Xianmu walked to the foot of the main hall steps, turned around and looked at the crowd, whose eyes also fell on him.

"The reason for summoning all the ministers to court today is to fulfill the previously issued decree to reorganize and dismantle the affairs of various departments."

The cabinet worked day and night to formulate regulations, which were promulgated to all ministries today.

Subsequently, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet will each lead their competent officials to complete this matter by the end of the tenth year of the Xuande reign at the latest. At the beginning of the first year of the Zhengtong reign, new policies will be implemented to symbolize the new emperor's rise to power and the renewal of all things.

Li Xianmu's clear voice resounded throughout the hall, shattering the illusions of some.

There's absolutely no room for negotiation!

To announce it directly is the most resolute attitude and the most uncompromising declaration!
All that had come before was supposed to make Li Xianmu hesitate, but his attitude today tells everyone that for Li Xianmu, all that turbulence, all that surge, all that surging was nothing but fleeting smoke, not worth mentioning.

Such a tough stance is ultimately unbearable.

"How can the Grand Secretary act so arbitrarily? When matters concern the nation, he makes decisions without consulting the court or other ministers. How can he expect to win the hearts of the people?"

"That's right. Splitting it into six parts is unprecedented in history and will shake the world. How can we treat it so lightly?"

"If the country and the world were to fall into chaos, who would be responsible? How could the Grand Secretary possibly bear such a responsibility?"

"..."

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Grand Secretary's actions are disastrous for the country and its people. We urge you to stop!"

"That's exactly right! That's exactly right to stop!"

"Absolutely not!"

"If we take action, the nation will be in turmoil; if we take action, the country will be unstable."

"The power of the Six Ministries has a long history, and it is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the interests of the people. How can it be changed arbitrarily?"

“Grand Secretary Li Xianmu, who monopolizes power and abuses his authority, actually dares to propose treacherous schemes in the imperial court. Isn’t this a premeditated attempt to cause chaos?”

The once peaceful courtroom instantly transformed into a bustling marketplace, with ministers whose memorials had been withheld from the court now voiced their opposition.

Some even pointed directly at Li Xianmu and said angrily, "Why do you insist on splitting up the six ministries? Isn't it just to allow the cabinet to seize power and dictate the government?"
"The abolition of the prime minister system, with power concentrated in the Six Ministries, was the will of Emperor Taizu. Li Xianmu, you have failed to live up to the expectations of Emperor Taizu, who personally instructed you, yet you aspire to become prime minister for your own selfish gain!"

This was the first time Zhu Qizhen had ever seen such a scene in the imperial court.

Empress Dowager Sun and many others were captivated by his last words, and indeed, in recent years, many people have referred to Li Xianmu as prime minister.

But most people's expressions didn't change much.

In fact, after the most severe Hongwu era, this matter is no longer of great political concern.

After all, as the power of the cabinet gradually increased, the emperors realized that as long as they didn't want to be hardworking laborers, an institution similar to a prime minister was necessary.

Li Xianmu, who was being condemned by everyone, calmly looked back at the indignant crowd and said in a cold and stern voice, "Since you all know that I was personally taught by the Emperor Taizu, how dare you speak like this?"

Do you understand the true intentions of the founding emperor better than I do?
Today I'll show you that no matter what the emperors of the past said or did, no matter if you misinterpret their meaning or embellish them, in the end they all boil down to four words—'Great Ming Prosperity'!
Everything I have done and said is for these four words, but you harbor demons in your hearts, and your evil spirits are not dispelled. You have divided yourselves into different factions. Since this has never happened before, how do you know it is wrong? How do you know that this will be a policy that ruins the world?
"Is it not that you harbor treacherous intentions, that you would utter such raving words in this very hall of power!"

"Does the Grand Secretary mean that no one can oppose your words and actions? Does the Grand Secretary intend to rule unilaterally in the present Ming Dynasty?"

Many people's expressions changed upon hearing this.

This is a typical example of attacking someone's heart. Only the emperor has the authority to make absolute decisions, so how could this be applied to a minister?
Even Li Xianmu dared not agree to this matter.

Li Xianmu simply said: "In the court, the capable should occupy the position."

This is why the imperial court selected officials through the civil service examination.

I was the top scholar in the third year of the Yongle reign. In the thirty years since I entered officialdom, I have achieved countless merits and accomplished everything. Therefore, successive emperors have entrusted me with important responsibilities. Now the court has a new policy, which was proposed by me and submitted to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty the Emperor. Do you think that the three sages will not listen to my words, but will listen to you, a person with no merit, no achievements, no ability and no talent?

How dare you stand before me?

To utter such outrageous words.

You should know that with your qualifications, abilities, and achievements, you are not qualified to say these things to me!

Li Xianmu's merciless words left the other party pale-faced and speechless, because everything Li Xianmu said was the truth.

Lies won't hurt, the truth is the sharpest knife!

A burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted in the main hall.

It was the group of officials from the School of Mind who cheered for Li Xianmu.

"How can the light of a grain of rice compare to the brilliance of the moon? And how dare you people argue with Lord Shouzheng?" Yang Rong stepped forward and laughed loudly, "This is an unprecedented policy, and you dare to argue with Lord Shouzheng!"

"I really don't know who, what, or what gave you such ignorant courage!"

This is a blatant mockery.

Li Xianmu then said:
"Before the late emperor passed away, he appointed himself, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu as regents."

The reason is that the four of us are outstanding and talented in the court.

You can only listen to what the four of us have to say.

If you do not respect our orders, what is the point of the late emperor appointing the four of us?
"Why don't you go to the late emperor's tomb and plead with him to abdicate the positions of the four of us regents!"

The moment Li Xianmu uttered these words, the entire hall fell silent.

No one dared to speak.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, who were seated at the head of the table, both widened their eyes in surprise.

The two emperors' behavior made the courtiers in the hall even more afraid to look them in the eye.

Even if some hotheads tried to speak up, they would be immediately stopped by their colleagues, who would cast questioning glances at them, only to be met with even more resolute silence.

There was an extremely deep trap in Li Xianmu's words.

The regents are not so easily dismissed.

A regent may be executed or exiled, but he must never be deposed by his subjects.

Because the regents were appointed by the late emperor in his will, they represented the late emperor's will and the sacredness of the will.

If the title of regent can be abolished, then the imperial edict is no longer sacred. Does the rest of the edict still possess supreme legal authority?

In ancient dynasties, the imperial edicts of the former emperor possessed a legal force far exceeding that of modern emperors. This was the foundation of all rule in the new dynasty, and it was one of the core foundations upon which the rulers of the new dynasty depended for their survival.

Anyone or any group that dares to attack this legal foundation will inevitably face the most severe and brutal attack from the new imperial power.

This is no longer an ordinary political struggle, but a life-or-death struggle.

Fight until death!

The courtiers in the hall were clearly very clever; they saw the danger involved and therefore did not dwell on the matter with Li Xianmu.

They wanted to launch an attack on Li Xianmu from other angles.

But they immediately realized that the reason Li Xianmu brought this up was because he knew his greatest advantage.

It was not only his immense political power accumulated over many years of prestige, but also the indisputable legal authority he possessed as a regent minister, as stated in the late emperor's will.

This sense of legality naturally enabled him to offer suggestions to the emperor, which the emperor was compelled to adopt.

In modern terms, the emperor was a minor and lacked civil capacity. His guardians were the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, while the regents also served as guardians to some extent.

Under this relationship, the regents could naturally offer their opinions, while other officials had no room to refute them.

The regents were, to some extent, a part of the late emperor, who believed that they could exercise a portion of imperial power when the emperor was young.

At least in terms of handling government affairs, the late emperor believed that the four regents, including Li Xianmu, were capable of doing things that would benefit the country and the people on behalf of the emperor.

Before any real upheaval occurs in the nation and before the regents confirm their failure, other ministers have no right to question their existence.

This is the natural privilege that regents naturally possess!
They always manage to gain the final right of interpretation before utter defeat, just as a powerful emperor can ultimately enforce his will in every matter.

If the emperor fails, he will naturally lose his political prestige, but if the emperor succeeds, he will gain even greater prestige.

The same applies to the regents.

What's truly disheartening is that Li Xianmu is precisely the one who possesses both prestige and power, capable of implementing his own will.

Thinking of this, those who opposed Li Xianmu felt a deep sense of despair. They couldn't understand why the late emperor would leave such important power to Li Xianmu, a man who already possessed great political prestige!
Does he really trust Li Xianmu so much that he believes Li Xianmu will not become like Sima Yi?
Did he really believe that the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager could control a powerful minister like Li Xianmu?
What a despairing thing this is!
If Li Xianmu was simply promoted and favored by the emperor suddenly, they could naturally use their power to suppress others, and even a regent would not be taken seriously.

But Li Xianmu was the most powerful person, and the only way to defeat someone like him was through reason.

But now they can't even win a reasoned argument with Li Xianmu, and they are far inferior to him in terms of legal principles.

They thought of countless solutions, but found no other way.

The failure of this struggle is not due to their current incompetence, but rather because they had already been in a state of formal defeat since the Xuande period!

In the events that occurred during the Xuande period, Li Xianmu gained the emperor's immense trust, a trust that far exceeded that of ordinary rulers and ministers.

Although it is far inferior to that of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, it is still enough to be called a good story of a ruler and his minister.

How could Li Xianmu not know what they were thinking?
He had known for ten years that Emperor Xuanzong would inevitably die. During those ten years, he did almost everything in accordance with Emperor Xuanzong's wishes, wasn't it all for this day?
After a decade of planning, what other minister in the world could possibly defy him?

(End of this chapter)