Huangming

Chapter 478 Speculation and Influence, Controlling Jiangnan

Dong Nuan Pavilion.

Gu Bingqian deliberately slowed his pace, trying to hide the sweat on his palms, but he didn't expect that as soon as he stepped across the threshold, he would run into the unfathomable eyes of Emperor Zhu Youxiao of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I, Gu Bingqian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, respectfully wish Your Majesty a long and peaceful life!"

He hurriedly lifted his robe and knelt down, his knees slamming into the blue bricks with a dull thud.

The brocade box in his arms was digging painfully into his ribs. Inside were the "Letter from Ten Thousand People" and a copy of the "Joint Letter from Hundreds of Officials." At this moment, it felt like he was holding a red-hot iron, burning him and making him uneasy.

Zhu Youxiao sat on the dragon throne, neither asking him to get up nor asking him any questions.

The warm room was eerily quiet, with only the crackling of the candlelight and Gu Bingqian's increasingly heavy breathing.

He glanced up and saw His Majesty's gaze fixed on the brocade box in his arms, his eyes cold. He quickly lowered his head, his back instantly soaked with sweat.

After about half an incense stick's time, Zhu Youxiao slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"Is the Vice Minister here to challenge me to a duel?"

"Gulu~"

Gu Bingqian subconsciously swallowed.

He gripped the brocade box tighter, but his tone remained calm:
"Your Majesty, I do not understand what you mean."

"I have come today to report the state of affairs concerning the people of Jiangnan, and wish to inform Your Majesty of the truth."

"playing dumb?"

Zhu Youxiao chuckled, leaned forward slightly, and his gaze suddenly sharpened, like two drawn swords piercing Gu Bingqian.

“These days, you have been having secret talks with Qian Qianyi in your residence and summoning officials from Jiangnan to discuss matters late at night.”

The cloth merchants of Songjiang and the salt merchants of Suzhou would send you a letter every three days.

Even several retired censors from Beizhili were persuaded by you to submit a joint memorial.

Do you really think I don't know what you've done?

With each word the emperor spoke, Gu Bingqian's face paled a little more.

"You've come to see me at this time not to pressure me with the chaos in Jiangnan, not to force me to dismiss Yuan Keli and halt the reorganization of Jiangnan, but perhaps you've come to pay your respects?"

Gu Bingqian's breathing became rapid instantly, his chest heaving violently.

He couldn't understand how His Majesty knew so much about what he had done so discreetly.

The private conversation with Qian Qianyi took place in the study, with the doors and windows tightly closed.

His correspondence with merchants in Jiangnan was all relayed through trusted servants.

Even persuading those officials took place in a private room within the mansion.

Could it be... that there are spies from the Imperial Guard hiding in the mansion?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He forced his head up, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly:
"Your Majesty, I have absolutely no intention of challenging you! It's just that Jiangnan is in turmoil right now, with weavers rioting and refugees rebelling. If this chaos continues, I don't know how many more people will die!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "dead" and added another sentence.

"I have heard that members of the White Lotus Sect have already infiltrated the rioters. If they gain power, Jiangnan may be reduced to a wasteland!"
"Your Majesty, this matter concerns half of the Ming Dynasty's territory. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"

He thought that bringing up the "White Lotus Sect" and "half of the country" would make His Majesty more wary.

After all, the White Lotus Sect caused trouble in Shandong last year, and it took the imperial court half a year to quell it. His Majesty cannot possibly forget that chaos.

But Zhu Youxiao only sneered, his voice full of mockery:
"According to you, if I don't listen to you, don't dismiss Yuan Keli, and don't stop the reorganization of Jiangnan, then my Great Ming Dynasty will perish?"

These words were like a slap in the face, landing hard on Gu Bingqian's cheek.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, "That's not what I meant," but the Emperor's gaze silenced him.

The contempt in his eyes, as if he were looking at a clown, shattered all his confidence.

In a moment of desperation, Gu Bingqian suddenly remembered the brocade box in his arms, quickly reached out and took it out, holding it above his head with both hands.

"Your Majesty! This is a petition from the people of Jiangnan, signed and sealed by thousands of people, all pleading with Your Majesty to stop the oppressive policies."

And this is a joint letter from hundreds of officials in the court, all willing to guarantee the livelihood of the people in Jiangnan, requesting Your Majesty to dismiss Yuan Keli and appease the gentry! Your Majesty, please take a look!

He waited for His Majesty to accept the brocade box, and for His Majesty to be moved when he saw the densely packed "blood signatures" on the "Book of Ten Thousand People".

But after waiting for a long time, he only heard Zhu Youxiao's cold voice.

"A joint signature by hundreds of officials? And a so-called petition from ten thousand people?"

Zhu Youxiao slowly leaned back on the dragon throne, chuckling coldly.
"I would like to ask you, which party do these hundreds of officials belong to? Are they the Donglin Party, or the 'Jiangnan Party' that you, Vice Minister Gu, have gathered?"

"hehe!"

Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly and continued:

"They used the petition from the people to force me to change my policies, and relied on the joint petition from officials to force me to replace them."

"Gu Bingqian, are you trying to form a faction and force me to resign?"

The words "forming a faction to force the emperor to abdicate" resounded like thunder in the warm pavilion.

Gu Bingqian froze completely.

"Forming factions" was the crime that the Ming emperors feared most.

From Yan Song in the Jiajing reign to Zhang Juzheng in the Wanli reign, and then to Wang An in the early Tianqi reign, which official who formed a faction had a good ending?

With His Majesty slapping this heavy label of "forming a faction to force the emperor to abdicate," not only will he, a mere Vice Minister of Rites, be dragged down, but the entire Donglin Party will be implicated!

He wanted to straighten his back and argue, but when he met Zhu Youxiao's sharp, knife-like eyes, his momentum instantly waned, and his voice trembled:
"Your Majesty, please be wise! The affairs of Jiangnan involve hundreds of thousands of people. We have no intention of forcing Your Majesty to abdicate. We only want Your Majesty to see the true will of the people and not be blinded by Yuan Keli's cruel policies!"

As he spoke, he raised the brocade box in his arms above his head once more.

But Zhu Youxiao didn't even glance at the brocade box; his voice was full of undisguised mockery.

"Public opinion? Minister Gu, tell me, how many people can you officials and gentry represent?"

"His Majesty."

Gu Bingqian opened his mouth, about to utter the cliché of "gentry are the role models of their hometowns and the people's aspirations," when he was interrupted by Zhu Youxiao's words, his tone suddenly turning sharp, every word carrying a veil of biting edge:

“You gentry rely on the ‘preferential treatment’ to exempt ten men from corvée labor for those who pass the provincial examination and twenty men from corvée labor for those who pass the imperial examination.”

Wang, a scholar from Songjiang Prefecture, only had a hundred acres of land. However, under the pretext of "preferential treatment and exemption," he secretly transferred the farmland of fifty households in a neighboring village to his own name, claiming it was for "management on their behalf." In reality, the rent he collected each year was heavier than the government's taxes!
Those farmers who lost their land will either become tenant farmers to you and pay 60% rent.

"Either flee to the city and become homeless, freezing and starving on the streets—is this what you call 'public opinion'?"

Zhu Youxiao's gaze swept over Gu Bingqian's pale face, and he continued:

During the Wanli era, gentry in Jiangnan owned more than 50% of the land, and the Xu Jie family alone owned 240,000 mu in Songjiang!

Do you know what this means?

This meant that 30,000 farmers had no way to make a living and could only grow mulberry trees and raise silkworms for the Xu family. The silk they wove would sell for ten taels of silver, but the farmers would only receive five qian of processing fees.

These people's "public opinion" is "protect the land and exempt it from rent," while your demand is "expand the land and increase rent." Do you dare say that you represent their public opinion?

Gu Bingqian's forehead began to bead with cold sweat, and the back of his official robe was soaked through.

He hadn't expected that His Majesty knew so much about the background of the gentry in Jiangnan, even the number of acres of land owned by the Xu Jie family and the rent ratio of farmers. Even he, an official from Jiangnan, only vaguely knew about these things, but His Majesty seemed to have seen them with his own eyes.

"And taxes!"

Zhu Youxiao's voice rose a little higher, tinged with anger.

“You enjoy the privilege of ‘exemption from grain and corvée’, but in the end, the taxes and corvée of the imperial court are all passed on to the self-cultivating farmers.”

During the Wanli era, the policy of "equal land distribution and equal taxation" was implemented. Officials and gentry in Jiangnan were supposed to bear 30% of the tax burden, but you bribed local officials and shifted all the tax revenue onto ordinary farmers.

In Suzhou, self-cultivating farmers originally paid three qian of tax per mu of land, but after the tax was passed on, they had to pay four and a half qian. How many people were forced to sell their land and their daughters?

In the 29th year of the Wanli reign, Suzhou weavers revolted. Ge Cheng led the charge in smashing the tax gate of tax commissioner Sun Long and opposing the additional tax on looms.

What did you gentry in Jiangnan do back then?

You said the weavers were "gathering a crowd to cause trouble," so you had your servants help the government arrest them. In the end, Ge Cheng was imprisoned, and thousands of weavers were exiled.

Why didn't you represent 'public opinion' back then?
Why don't you petition for the weavers?

Gu Bingqian's face was completely drained of color, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He wanted to argue that "it was because the weavers really caused trouble," but the emperor's next words silenced him.

"What you call public opinion is nothing more than a pretext when your own interests are threatened!"

When I implemented the "Imperial Power Descending to the County" and "Land Survey," I wanted to investigate your concealed private fields and collect the taxes you evaded. You then forged a "Petition of Disaster Victims," ​​writing things like "We would rather suffer from floods than accept imperial favor," and portraying your opposition to the land survey as "the people's unwillingness to be exploited by the government!"
You also wrote operas and storybooks, and sang "The Disaster Relief Bureau Robs the People," portraying the officials of the Disaster Relief Bureau as robbers who steal grain, making the people think that you were speaking out for them.

But actually?
"You're only doing this to protect your hidden lands and tax-exempt privileges. Once things calm down, the people will have to pay every penny of the taxes they owe, and even more on your behalf!"

Zhu Youxiao's eyes were sharp as he stared intently at Gu Bingqian:
"During the Jiajing era, Yan Song and Xu Jie vied for the position of prime minister. Didn't Xu Jie also get you gentry from Jiangnan to 'jointly submit a petition' saying that Yan Song's cronies were plundering the people's wealth and that the people's resentment was boiling over?"
The power struggle was packaged as a "people's fight against corrupt officials," but after Xu Jie came to power, his family amassed more land than Yan Song, and the people of Jiangnan suffered even more.

"I see right through your trick of using 'public opinion' to attack your opponents!"

“If we really listen to your ‘public opinion’ and recall Yuan Keli to stop the reorganization of Jiangnan, who will take care of the public opinion of the displaced farmers?”
Who listens to the voices of the self-sufficient farmers whose taxes have been shifted to them?

At that time, the people's demands will only be expressed through violent resistance. If the Suzhou weavers' uprising happens again, and the White Lotus sect seizes the opportunity to coerce displaced people, and Jiangnan is truly reduced to a wasteland, then our Great Ming Dynasty will truly be engulfed in rebellion and endless flames of war!

Zhu Youxiao practically shouted the last sentence.

Gu Bingqian was so frightened that his face turned pale.

His brocade box had long since fallen to the ground, and the "Book of Ten Thousand People" was scattered all over the place.

Bang bang bang!
Gu Bingqian slammed his head against the gold bricks, his forehead aching from the impact, but he dared not stop.

Cold sweat streamed down his face, dripping onto the ground and mixing with the "bloodstains".

He was completely panicked.

He never imagined that His Majesty could see through the shady dealings of officials and gentry, and the truthfulness of public opinion, so clearly that it sent chills down his spine and left him without the courage to even offer a defense.

He could only press his face against the cold gold bricks, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, repeatedly muttering "I deserve to die," but he dared not mention the words "public opinion" again.

Finished!

Finished!

Now, not only has he lost his official position, but his life is also in danger.

Just when Gu Bingqian thought he was doomed, Zhu Youxiao's voice suddenly rang out, lacking the previous thunderous rage, but carrying an unfathomable calmness:

"You deserve to die. However, it is not impossible for me to spare you."

These words struck Gu Bingqian like a thunderbolt, making him freeze. His tense back instantly relaxed, but he trembled slightly with disbelief, even forgetting the rhythm of his breathing.

After a moment, he dared to slowly raise his head. Strands of hair on his forehead were stuck to his skin with sweat, obscuring most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes filled with doubt and ecstasy as he looked at Zhu Youxiao on the dragon throne:
"Your Majesty...is this true?"

Zhu Youxiao looked at his still-shaken appearance and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I am the emperor, and my word is as good as gold. I never speak falsehoods."

You, Gu Bingqian, passed the imperial examination in the 23rd year of the Wanli reign. You rose from a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy to the vice minister of the Ministry of Rites. You served as a junior official, tutor, and junior official, and were in charge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. You also compiled the imperial genealogy.

After thirty years of navigating the treacherous waters of the imperial court, one should surely understand the principle that "a wise man submits to circumstances."

Zhu Youxiao bypassed Gu Bingqian mainly because this man never had any firm principles.

Historically, when Wei Zhongxian was in power, this guy served Wei Zhongxian without any psychological pressure and secured the position of Grand Secretary.

He talks a lot about morality, but in reality, he's always looking out for himself.

When the Donglin Party was in power, he rose rapidly through the ranks by relying on members of the Donglin Party.

Now that the Donglin Party is in dire straits, he can naturally switch sides without hesitation.

Such "fence-sitters" are precisely the best tool to dismantle the alliance of Jiangnan gentry.

"You're not beyond redemption."

Zhu Youxiao's voice softened further, as if he were patiently guiding him.

"I am willing to give you a way out."

Upon hearing this, Gu Bingqian dared not hesitate any longer.

He kowtowed again with a loud thud, his forehead striking the gold brick with a heavy thud, his tone full of urgent flattery:
"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty! I will gladly die for you and do my utmost to accomplish whatever Your Majesty commands!"

He knew perfectly well at that moment.

The Donglin Party could no longer protect him. Qian Qianyi's "joint coup" was nothing but courting death. Only by clinging tightly to His Majesty could he save his official position and life.

The lingering affection for the Donglin Party that I had previously held for them had vanished in the face of life and death.

Zhu Youxiao, seeing his sycophantic manner, remained unmoved and simply said:
"It's not difficult. I don't intend to punish everyone who signed the joint letter."

The implications are too broad and do not contribute to the stability of the court.

"You only need to draft a 'list of the chief culprits' for me, clearly listing the crimes of Qian Qianyi, Zhou Qiyuan, and others who instigated popular uprisings and colluded with gentry, along with the evidence, and then submit it to the Office of Transmission in your capacity as Vice Minister of Rites."

Gu Bingqian's heart clenched.

A list of the main culprits has been drafted?

This was clearly an attempt to force him to personally push out the core figures of the Donglin Party, and to isolate him from all the gentry of Jiangnan!
He could almost see Qian Qianyi's furious expression upon hearing the news, the Donglin Party members' future scorn towards him, and the fact that he would have no place left in the Jiangnan gentry circles...

Cold sweat climbed up his spine again, soaking the lining of his official robe.

"What? Don't want to?"

Zhu Youxiao's tone suddenly turned cold, and his gaze was like two sharp knives, piercing straight at Gu Bingqian.

"Or are you still planning to follow Qian Qianyi and his group down this dark path?"

"I am willing! Of course I am willing!"

Gu Bingqian shuddered at the sudden chill and quickly kowtowed again, raising his voice several decibels.

“Qian Qianyi, that kind of traitor, outwardly spouts benevolence and morality, but behind the scenes he colludes with rebels, incites riots, and attempts to force the emperor to abdicate. Everyone has the right to kill him!”
"Your Majesty, I have long disliked him, but I lacked evidence before. It is my honor to rid Your Majesty of this traitor!"

He spoke with righteous indignation, as if he wasn't the one who had secretly conspired with Qian Qianyi late at night.

In order to protect himself, he had long since thrown "fraternal ties" and "Donglin friendship" to the winds.

In his eyes, nothing was more important than his own life and official position.

Seeing his fickle nature, Zhu Youxiao finally smiled genuinely and waved his hand.
"Since you are willing, then go ahead and do it. Remember, the list must be detailed, the crimes must be real, and you must not disappoint me."

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will obey! I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Gu Bingqian felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up from the ground, bowed, and retreated to the door of the warm pavilion, his steps unsteady and almost tripping.

When he stepped out of the warm room, the early winter wind hit him in the face, but he didn't feel cold.

His official robe was already soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his body as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

Standing on the steps of the Qianqing Palace, Gu Bingqian looked back at the vermilion palace gate, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that from now on, he was no longer a member of the Donglin Party, but a knife in His Majesty's hand, a knife used to cut off the power of the gentry in Jiangnan.

He clenched his fist, silently repeating to himself:

“Qian Qianyi, don’t blame me… If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for not seeing the times clearly and for insisting on going against His Majesty.”

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

As soon as Gu Bingqian's unsteady footsteps disappeared outside the warm pavilion, Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, approached quietly, carrying the joint letter still damp with Gu Bingqian's sweat.

The fat eunuch's brows furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion.

"His Majesty."

Wei Chao stood bowing before the table, asking with some confusion:
"There are more than two hundred officials on this joint letter. They all signed and affixed their fingerprints. It's obvious that they're forming a clique to oppose His Majesty!"

He gently placed the joint letter on the table and tapped the densely packed signatures at the end of the letter.

"If we send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate these names, arrest and interrogate them one by one, we can find out their connections with Qian Qianyi and Zhou Qiyuan. Wouldn't that solve the problem once and for all and eliminate future troubles?"

He had been following Zhu Youxiao for more than two years and had witnessed His Majesty's ruthlessness towards corrupt officials.

When Han Kuang was exiled, those officials who knelt to offer their advice were thrown into the imperial prison. Every time, the process was swift and decisive.
But this time, despite having such solid evidence, His Majesty released Gu Bingqian and even made him draft the "list of chief culprits," while turning a blind eye to the more than two hundred officials who signed the petition. This was something Gu Bingqian couldn't understand.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao picked up the joint letter from the table, brushed over the still-wet ink on the signatures, and a faint smile appeared on his lips, but he did not answer immediately.

The morning light shone through the window lattice, illuminating the blue bricks in the warm pavilion. In the distance, the soft sound of palace maids sweeping the floor could be heard, and everything exuded a sense of peace.

But beneath this apparent stability lurked undercurrents in the imperial court and the flames of war in Jiangnan.

He slowly turned around, placed the joint letter back on the table, his gaze falling on Wei Chao's face, his tone calm yet sharp enough to pierce the heart:

"Wei Banban, tell me, what would happen if all two hundred-plus officials were arrested?"

Wei Chao was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Of course... it's to deter those who dare to oppose His Majesty!"

"and then?"

Zhu Youxiao pressed for further details.

"Half of the officials in the Ministry of Personnel have been arrested. Who will be in charge of the selection process?"
More than a dozen officials in the Ministry of Revenue have been arrested. Who will check the disaster relief grain?
Not to mention the compilers of the Hanlin Academy and the local prefects.

Although these people signed their names, they are not necessarily the masterminds. Some were coerced by Qian Qianyi, while others were afraid of offending the gentry of Jiangnan. If they were all arrested, wouldn't the imperial court be paralyzed?

Wei Chao opened his mouth, wanting to say, "There are also candidates for official positions," but he swallowed the words back.

How could reserve officials be as familiar with government affairs as these veteran officials?

If a new group of people were to be replaced, not only would the implementation of the new policies be stalled, but the daily operations of the Grand Canal, taxation, and the imperial examinations would also be thrown into chaos for a while.

"More importantly..."

Zhu Youxiao's voice became somewhat somber.

"The gentry in Jiangnan were already full of complaints about the reform of Jiangnan. What would they think if they saw that half of the officials in the court had been arrested?"
They would think that I am trying to wipe them out completely, cutting off all their escape routes.

"At that point, instead of exploiting the rebels, they'll unite as one and actually rebel with the White Lotus Sect and the pirates. Do you think Yuan Keli's troops can quell the rebellion in a short time?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering Wei Chao up.

He finally understood that His Majesty was not "soft-hearted," but rather had a longer-term vision.

The more officials who band together to protect themselves are arrested, the stronger the backlash will be.

The tighter you push, the more chaotic things become.

Jiangnan had already been in chaos for half a month. Many gentry had died, the corrupt officials in the disaster relief department had been purged, and the core power of the gentry had been scattered. If the court were to be thrown into further chaos, it would only give those who were still observing a reason to "take the plunge".

Seeing the doubt on Wei Chao's face gradually fade, Zhu Youxiao gently shook his head, thinking to himself:
Later, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, a minor official named Ren Bo'an secretly compiled a list of officials' conducts, intending to use it to blackmail the court. However, Emperor Kangxi not only did not use the book to arrest anyone, but also burned it in public.

Why did Emperor Kangxi order it burned?

It was because he knew that there were too many officials in that book, and if they were all arrested, the imperial court would collapse.

The principle of "the law does not punish the masses" is never about condoning wrongdoing, but about weighing the pros and cons.

Among the officials who signed the petition, there were ringleaders who deserved to be executed, accomplices who deserved to be punished, and coerced followers who deserved to be released.

The principle of governing a country is to root out and kill the ringleader, demote and fine the accomplices, and give the coerced one a chance to repent. This not only eliminates the root of the problem but also stabilizes people's hearts.

Zhu Youxiao continued:
"Jiangnan was in chaos for half a month. Those corrupt officials who deserved to be killed, such as Yan Kuan and those cloth merchants who colluded with pirates, have already been eliminated in the chaos."

The forces that needed to be cleared, such as the Donglin Party's base in the academies and the land monopolized by the gentry, have also been disrupted.

What I need to do now is not to exterminate them all, but to close the net.

"Have Gu Bingqian compile a list of the ringleaders, arrest the ringleaders like Qian Qianyi and Zhou Qiyuan, and the rest will see the ringleaders brought to justice and escape unscathed. They will naturally obey and never dare to oppose the new policies again."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao finally understood completely.

He bowed deeply, his tone full of admiration: "Your Majesty is wise! It was this servant's short-sightedness that led me to only see 'seize' and not 'control'."

"Politics is not about establishing authority through killing, but about seizing power through control."

Zhu Youxiao said calmly, his eyes revealing a composure beyond his years.

"What I want is not 'Jiangnan has no one,' but 'Jiangnan submits to me.'"

Now the gentry in Jiangnan dare not rebel, the officials in the court dare not cause trouble, and the new policies can be implemented. My goal has been achieved.

As for those corrupt officials and those with differing political views, if they can be reformed, then they should be employed.

If it cannot be changed, then it's not too late to remove it.

A truly capable ruler is one who can make his opponents work for him and control the chaos of war.

As emperor, one cannot act arbitrarily.

When to do what, and what choice is best, you have to do it and make the choice.

Political struggle is not an end in itself, but merely a means.

This is politics, and also the art of imperial power.

(End of this chapter)