Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 71 It's time to prove your worth! (4.7K long chapter, please vote with monthly tickets~)

Shen Shi.

Wuying Hall.

Zhu Youjian stood in the warm pavilion behind the palace, giving a final review of the rhythm and key points of his speech.

A moment later, he took a deep breath and stepped out.

"Your Majesty, please ascend the throne!"

As the eunuch announced the order, the slightly agitated atmosphere in the hall instantly fell silent.

The three Grand Secretaries, the six Ministers, the nine ministers including the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Court of Imperial Edicts, plus the six supervising secretaries, totaling more than twenty people, all rose from their seats and knelt down in unison.

"I see your Majesty, long live my emperor!"

The shouts echoed throughout the hall.

"Flat body."

Zhu Youjian's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

He walked behind the imperial desk and sat down, looking at the ministers who had taken their seats again below.

Today's number of attendees was more than ten more than the last time the meeting was held in the Wuying Hall, so the arrangement of the tables and chairs was also more dense, spreading out on both sides of his main seat.

Some people were experiencing the "sitting meeting" treatment for the first time in the Wuying Hall, and they seemed a little reserved and unaccustomed to it. They only dared to touch a small part of the chair with their buttocks, and their backs were straight.

Zhu Youjian didn't say any pleasantries, but simply tapped the table lightly with his finger.

"I'm sure all of you have seen today's agenda, so let's begin."

His gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on the thick stack of answer sheets on the imperial desk.

"The first thing to do today is to solicit proposals on improving the governance of the capital."

He patted the stack of answer sheets; the sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I have read it once, but to be honest, it seems that none of you ministers fully understand why I came up with this plan."

"Most of the answers do not satisfy me."

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became even more tense.

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on Huang Liji, the chief.

"Prime Minister, tell me, how do you understand this policy question?"

Huang Liji calmly rose from his seat, bowed, and replied:
"Your Majesty, since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have spread virtue and bestowed benefits, and worked diligently to govern the country, which has attracted worldwide attention."

"I believe that Your Majesty's move is intended to start with the capital and usher in a new era of reform, setting a good precedent for the governance of our Great Ming."

These words were spoken in a measured and watertight manner, both flattering the emperor and highlighting the core of "reform + capital".

Zhu Youjian thought to himself, "This old fox, what he said is as good as nothing."

However, he nodded and said, "What the Prime Minister said is correct, but not comprehensive."

He looked around and raised his voice slightly.

Are there any other interpretations?

Everyone looked at each other in shock, but no one answered.

Although Huang Lijie's words were general, they did reflect the thoughts of most of them. What deeper understanding could there be?

Zhu Youjian sighed softly to himself.

What he wants are practical and quantifiable solutions, not these "Ten Policies for the Capital" or "Eight Policies for the Capital".

Why don't you use numbers like four, five, eleven, or twelve to make it? Is it because those numbers don't sound good?

It seems that if he wants to change all the civil and military officials into the shape he likes, he still has to make steady progress every day and keep educating them.

Seeing that no one spoke, he stopped waiting and simply called out names.

"Which one is Xue Guoguan, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice?"

Xue Guoguan, who was at the end of the table, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and almost instinctively stood up.

His heart was filled with fear at that moment.

When he received the task today, the time was so tight that he had almost no time to think it over carefully. He simply wrote a policy essay based on what he had seen and heard when he entered the capital this morning to get by.

As soon as he finished writing, the little eunuch guarding the gate of the government office snatched it away, saying that he would send it to the palace immediately.

Now, His Majesty is calling out his own name first...

Is this meant to be used as a negative example to establish authority?
He thought of the fate of the "Three-Nothing Grand Secretary" mentioned by Sun Zhixie, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, making his hands and feet feel somewhat unresponsive.

However, Zhu Youjian's next words struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned on the spot.

"Of all the people, your strategy is the most practical."

A hint of approval appeared on Zhu Youjian's lips.

He waved his hand, and Gao Shiming, who was standing by, immediately understood and distributed a pre-copied dossier to each minister present.

The ministers accepted it and bowed their heads to examine it closely.

Upon seeing this, many people displayed expressions similar to Xue Guoguan's, a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Even the few with deep-seated cunning frowned, seemingly trying to figure out the emperor's true intentions.

Because this strategy is really... too rough.

The writing style is mediocre, clearly a rushed work, and more importantly, the things it discusses are far too trivial.

Muddy roads, beggars everywhere, clogged ditches...

This can be called a policy essay?

Isn't this just a complaint from a petty official in the city?

Zhu Youjian took in everyone's expressions and gestured to Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming understood, cleared his throat, picked up the file, and began to read it aloud in his unique, slightly high-pitched yet powerful voice.

"I have heard that the capital is the focus of the world's attention, and those who govern the world must first govern the capital. However, the governance of the capital does not lie in lofty discussions in the court, but in practical matters in the streets and alleys."

"Within the capital, the roads are sometimes uneven, muddy when it rains and dusty when it's sunny—that's one problem. Furthermore, there are starving people and beggars, some lying on main streets, others gathering in temples and markets, which is unsightly and tarnishes the reputation of the Holy Dynasty's benevolence—that's another problem..."

Gao Shiming's voice echoed in the hall.

When he reached this point, Zhu Youjian raised his hand, signaling him to stop.

He looked at Xue Guoguan, who was still standing, smiled gently, and gestured for him to sit down.

Xue Guoguan sat down, somewhat flattered. He could feel all eyes on him from all directions.

In that instant, his fear was completely replaced by excitement, and all the wild thoughts he had before the meeting were thrown to the back of his mind.

—Your Majesty is indeed wise!

"My beloved ministers."

Zhu Youjian spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power.

"Why did I set the topic as 'Governance of the Capital' instead of 'Governance of the Entire Empire'?"

"The glorious Ming Dynasty has been established for more than two hundred years. Now the country is in decline and everything needs to be rebuilt. I know this better than anyone else."

"However, I have heard a saying: Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world."

"This capital city is my body, and your home! There are 1,500 civil and military officials in the capital. If I cannot even govern this capital well, how dare I hope for a well-governed empire?!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

A moment later, Huang Lijie was the first to stand up and bow down.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The other officials, as if waking from a dream, all rose and bowed in greeting.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand.

"My lords, please sit down. I have not yet finished speaking."

Once everyone was seated again, Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly changed.

"The other purpose of this question is not in the question itself."

"It relates to the second topic of today."

These words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Everyone's nerves tensed up instantly.

Xue Guoguan subconsciously looked down at the thin sheet of paper on his desk with today's agenda written on it.

His gaze swept over it, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The second line clearly stated—

"The officials who were dismissed during the Tianqi era due to factional strife were brought together in the capital to redistribute their official positions."

In that instant, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Xue Guoguan's mind, giving him goosebumps all over his body.

He abruptly looked up at the emperor behind the desk, his eyes filled with horror. Not only him, but almost all the officials in the hall changed their expressions after seeing this line of words and hearing the emperor's words.

They were either surprised, frightened, worried, or thoughtful.

Zhu Youjian observed everyone's reactions and slowly nodded.

"That's right, it's related to this matter."

He looked around at everyone and spoke word by word.

"At the beginning of my reign, I noticed the decline of the nation. But where exactly is the way to break this deadlock?"

Is it a border issue? A matter of finance and taxation? Or a problem with officialdom?

"After careful consideration, I feel that these are all just appearances."

"The real problem is that, since the Wanli Emperor, our Ming Dynasty court has been embroiled in factional strife year after year! Zhejiang, Xuanhua, Hubei, Donglin... all sorts of factions, one after another, have taken the stage!"

"Once they gain power, they must drive the other party out and kill them completely!"

"If officials in the court want to do their jobs peacefully, they must choose a faction to follow; otherwise, they will be punished at every turn and hindered in everything they do!"

“What’s even more terrifying is,” Zhu Youjian’s voice suddenly rose, tinged with just the right amount of heartache, “that those who do things make more mistakes the more they do; those who do nothing make fewer mistakes the less they do! To the point that our Ming Dynasty court judges talent solely by morality and literary talent, completely disregarding practical achievements!”

"That's not right!"

He picked up the thin list of Donglin Party members to be reinstated, which was about to be sent to various places, from the table and shook it gently.

"This list contains 193 people. Some are from as far away as Guangdong and Guangxi, while others are closer to the capital. The time it took them to arrive in Beijing ranges from several days to several months."

"I ask you, how many of these people were framed? How many were wronged?"

"I ask you again, how many of you present here today have submitted memorials and participated in attacking them?"

"If they return to court, will they retaliate?!"

"At that time, the imperial court will be filled with chaos and endless infighting! Will the affairs of state still be able to proceed?!"

As Zhu Youjian spoke, he became more and more excited. He simply stood up from behind his desk, walked down the steps, and slowly paced among the officials.

His gaze, like a sharp sword, swept across the face of every minister.

"I intend to prohibit factional strife! Therefore, I have been lenient with the Wei traitor, only punishing the ringleaders and ignoring the rest! I also wish to persuade these unjustly wronged people who are about to return to the court to be tolerant for the sake of the country!"

He stopped and looked at the crowd.

"But I have ascended the throne at a young age and my virtue and prestige are still shallow. Will they really be willing to listen to me and put aside the humiliation of being demoted for so many years?"

"My beloved ministers, I need achievements to prove my ambition to revive the dynasty!"

"And you, too, need to achieve results to prove your worth to me, to the world, and to those political enemies who are about to return to court!"

"If you want to achieve results within ten days, then the best way is to ensure the capital is well-governed; that will yield the best results!"

"Today, I have been completely frank with you all. Now, is everything clear and understandable?"

His words were like the resounding toll of a great bell, awakening and enlightening the deaf.

The ministers in the hall were all sweating profusely, their minds reeling.

They never imagined that a young emperor, not even twenty years old, could see so clearly the essence of politics and the subtleties of human nature!

Instead of avoiding the issues, he laid bare the most acute and sensitive partisan struggles on the table.

He didn't favor either side, but instead offered a solution that no one could refuse, and it was the only one—

Achievements!

Replace empty moral slogans and partisan labels with tangible achievements!

This is a calculated, open strategy.

A calculated scheme that both instilled awe and compelled their admiration.

After a long while, Huang Lijie was the first to react. He stood up and led the way in bowing deeply.

"Your Majesty is wise and sagacious, your wisdom shines upon all! We, your subjects, have only cared about forming cliques and suppressing dissent, and have compromised on many matters of state. We have truly failed to live up to Your Majesty's grace!"

"Your Majesty's consideration for us is deeply appreciated! We will dedicate ourselves to the great well-being of the capital, even unto death!"

"We, your humble servants, will dedicate ourselves to the cause until our dying breath!"

All the ministers rose in unison and knelt on the ground, their voices forming a torrent that echoed throughout the hall.

Zhu Youjian slowly exhaled and glanced at Huang Liji without making his presence known.

He suddenly realized that having a cunning prime minister playing a double act and setting up a ladder here might not be such a bad thing after all.
"My beloved ministers, please rise and sit down."

After returning to his desk, he sat down again, and his pace suddenly quickened.

"Therefore, the first matter is settled."

His gaze fell once again on Xue Guoguan.

"Xue Guoguan".

"Your subject is here!" Xue Guoguan immediately stood up.

"The matters you listed in your policy proposal, such as road construction in the capital, resettling famine victims, and dredging ditches, are extremely complicated. I hereby appoint you to be solely in charge of road construction!"

"After you leave, immediately compile a detailed list of costs, manpower, methods, and measures for this matter, write it down in a report, and submit it directly to me! I will provide you with the necessary manpower, material resources, and financial support!"

Zhu Youjian paused, looked at Xue Guoguan's face, which was flushed with excitement, and said in a deep voice.

"I will give you all the support I can. Please, my dear minister, do not disappoint my expectations."

Xue Guoguan felt a surge of heat rush to his head. He suddenly lifted the hem of his robe, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Your subject dares not disobey!"

Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the others.

"As for the rest, I ask all officials to go down and either recommend themselves or recommend capable people to take on the tasks. There are two criteria: first, the results should be visible within ten days; second, it should truly benefit the million people in the capital."

"Stop using those clichéd tunes, understand?"

"We obey your command!" the ministers replied in unison.

Zhu Youjian tapped on the table.

"Alright, the first matter is settled. The second matter is the reinstatement of all officials dismissed during the Tianqi era for factionalism. The list is here. Does anyone have any objections?"

The hall was completely silent; no one uttered a sound.

Chen Eryi, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, subconsciously squeezed the memorial hidden in his sleeve. It contained a petition he had written overnight opposing the large-scale reinstatement of Donglin Party members.

He glanced almost imperceptibly at his colleagues on either side, especially at a few silent former eunuch colleagues, but ultimately did not dare to step forward.

The emperor has already made his point so clearly; to step forward now would be to be out of touch with reality and court death.

"very good."

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept across the nameplates on the table, finally settling on one name.

"Commissioner of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Lü Tunan."

"The minister is here."

"All official documents to be issued today, are there any problems?"

"Your Majesty, there is no problem!" Lü Tunan stood up and bowed.

"Thirdly, Zhu Xieyuan is to be reinstated as Governor-General of Sichuan, Guizhou, Huguang, and Hanzhong, directly in charge of military affairs. Any objections?"

Still, no one spoke.

Zhu Youjian gestured to Lü Tunan with his eyes, and the latter rose again to accept the order.

"Fourthly, I intend to hold a special imperial examination next spring to select four hundred candidates in recognition of my ascension to the throne. Are there any objections?"

This time, there was finally some reaction in the hall. Several Grand Secretaries and Ministers exchanged glances and stood up in unison.

"Your Majesty is wise; this is a great undertaking to attract talent for the nation!"

"Fifth matter," Zhu Youjian nodded, his tone unwavering, "After next year's spring imperial examinations, the Ministry of Personnel will select fifty scholars proficient in mathematics to be incorporated into the Ministry of Revenue, where a new Accounting Department will be established. Any objections?"

Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, immediately stood up, cupped his hands in gratitude, and said, "Your Majesty is wise! Your subject... on behalf of the entire Ministry of Revenue, thanks Your Majesty for your great favor!"

After he finished speaking, he glanced back at the others.

Everyone else kept their eyes down, seemingly indifferent, as if it were none of their business.

Zhu Youjian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, we've successfully passed the most difficult challenges of the day.

It seems that this meeting, which combined openness and openness with a strategy of "driving away the wolves to devour the tigers," was remarkably effective.

He waved his hand, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.

"All matters are settled for today. My beloved ministers, you may all withdraw and go about your respective duties."

The officials rose, about to bow and take their leave.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in the quiet hall.

"Your Majesty, I... have something to report."

(End of this chapter)