Huangming

Chapter 479 The Inner Court Reorganization: The Show Begins

The window frames of the East Warm Pavilion in the Qianqing Palace were tinged with amber by the afterglow of dusk.

The pile of memorials on the desk was finally cleared of most of them, and the vermilion brush was placed diagonally next to the inkstone, the ink already solidified.

Zhu Youxiao leaned back on the dragon throne, stretched, his joints making a slight "click" sound, and then let out a long yawn.

The redness around the Ming emperor's eyes betrayed his exhaustion from days of reviewing documents.

From the day he ascended the throne, the word "leisure" became completely foreign to him.

The morning court sessions, the afternoon military council meetings, and the nightly review of memorials—even during meals, eunuchs would read urgent reports from various regions.

In the imperial court, he had to contend with his ministers; on the border, he had to coordinate military supplies and provisions; in Jiangnan, he had to keep an eye on the movements of the gentry; and even in the inner court, he had to guard against corruption and embezzlement in the Bureau of Armaments and the Bureau of Textiles.

This imperial life is like a never-ending game of strategy, fighting against officials, natural disasters, and lurking parasites. One must rack one's brains at all times, and even a moment of relaxation becomes a luxury.

"Your Majesty, it's time for dinner."

A palace maid quietly brought over a cup of warm pre-rain Longjing tea, her voice barely audible.

Zhu Youxiao took the teacup, and only when his fingertips touched the warm porcelain did he feel a bit of warmth.

He had just taken a sip when he saw two figures in black bowing and tiptoeing into the warm pavilion, kneeling down on the gold bricks with a "plop".

It was Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who had just returned from inspecting matters outside the palace, along with Wei Zhongxian.

It was early winter, and although a charcoal fire burned in the warm room, it couldn't stop the cold sweat from seeping from their foreheads.

The hem of the eunuch's robe with python patterns from the Wei Dynasty was dusty, suggesting that he had rushed over.

Wei Zhongxian lowered his head, his hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, and he even breathed very softly.

Zhu Youxiao put down his teacup, his voice carrying a hint of languor from just relaxing, yet still exuding imperial majesty:
"Everyone, stand up and tell us, what's the result of your investigations?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and he quickly crawled half a step on his knees to reply:

"Your Majesty, this servant...this servant deserves to die!"

He kowtowed loudly, his forehead striking the gold brick with a dull thud.

"At the Bureau of Armory, Wei Zhongxian investigated according to His Majesty's order and found that the chief eunuch colluded with the craftsmen in the bureau to embezzle military equipment materials and falsely report material costs!"

They secretly deposited the embezzled silver into their own homes and even bought land and houses outside the city...

This is all due to my poor recommendation and misjudgment of character, which allowed these parasites to take advantage of the situation. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!

Zhu Youxiao paused, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

The Ordnance Bureau was a crucial place for manufacturing weapons for the border troops, yet these people dared to tamper with the weapons.

The soldiers in Liaodong were fighting with counterfeit weapons, while someone in the capital was embezzling their military pay. This was simply playing with the lives of the soldiers!
"Those traitors."

Zhu Youxiao's voice turned cold and ruthless.

"I have already ordered that the eunuch in charge of the case be skinned alive, stuffed with straw, and hung at the entrance of the Armory as a warning to the public."

Every single craftsman and eunuch involved in the embezzlement shall be executed by slow slicing, and their property shall be confiscated and turned over to the government.

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao froze instantly, cold sweat streaming down his face and soaking his front.

He had expected His Majesty to question him first, but he hadn't anticipated that the punishment had already been decided.

This made him even more panicked, and he quickly kowtowed again, his voice trembling with tears:

"Your Majesty is merciful! It was my dereliction of duty, and I am willing to accept punishment! Whether it is caning or demotion, I will accept it!"

Zhu Youxiao sighed softly as he looked at his frightened appearance.

Although Wei Chao had his own selfish motives, he was also quite diligent. He had never made a mistake in the drafting of documents by the Directorate of Ceremonial. This time, his recommendation of the chief eunuch was more due to being blinded by greed than to deliberate indulgence.

If he is severely punished, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs will have no one to take over, which will disrupt the order of the inner court.

“You, the Grand Eunuch, recommended someone who caused such a serious incident; you should naturally be punished.”

Zhu Youxiao's tone softened somewhat.

"I'll deduct three months' salary from your salary. You need to reflect on your actions. From now on, when recommending people, we'll look at their character, not their connections."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! This servant will remember Your Majesty's teachings and will never dare to do it again!"

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, turning his gaze to Wei Zhongxian, who had remained silent to the side:
"Wei Zhongxian, how about you? How's the investigation into your nephew's matter in his hometown of Suning going?"

Wei Zhongxian's body trembled violently, even more terrified than Wei Chao. He kowtowed with tremendous force, and his forehead quickly turned red.
"Your Majesty! It is this servant's fault for not disciplining them properly!"
My good-for-nothing nephew, Wei Liangqing, forcibly seized farmland in our hometown of Suning, colluded with local thugs to oppress the people, and even... even abducted women!
"This servant was completely unaware of what was happening; it was my fault. I am willing to take the punishment in my nephew's place. Please, Your Majesty, spare his life!"

He spoke with a pleading tone in his voice.

Wei Liangqing is the only male heir in the Wei family. If he dies, the Wei family line will end.

Even though he knew his nephew deserved to die, he couldn't help but want to plead for him.

Looking at him like this, Zhu Youxiao knew Wei Zhongxian's weakness.

Although Wei Zhongxian was ruthless, he valued the continuation of his family line, which was also the area where he could be controlled.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Considering that you have done your best to serve me these past two years."

"Having investigated the secret reports from the Donglin Party members and kept an eye on the merchant groups in Jiangnan, he made no mistakes, so I spared his life."

Wei Zhongxian suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with ecstatic joy. Just as he was about to express his gratitude, Zhu Youxiao added:
"However, he may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment."

Let him stay in his hometown of Suning and behave himself, get married and have children to continue the Wei family line.

On the day the child turns one year old, then... give him a cup of poison to end this matter.

The ecstasy on Wei Zhongxian's face froze instantly, then turned into deep awe.

His Majesty both granted him the dignity of leaving the Wei family as heir and did not forgive Wei Liangqing's crimes. This combination of kindness and severity left him with no room for rebuttal.

He kowtowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion:

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! This servant...this servant thanks Your Majesty on behalf of the Wei family!"

The warm room fell silent, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

Zhu Youxiao looked at the two kneeling figures, his tone becoming serious again:

"You are all my trusted ministers, and the affairs of the inner court are entirely in your hands."

The corruption in the Bureau of Armory and the misdeeds of Wei Liangqing serve as a warning.

From now on, I must never see such things again.

If you commit this offense again, I will not let you off so easily, understand?

Wei Chao and Wei Zhongxian quickly responded in unison:

"This servant understands! This servant will never dare to do it again!"

"in addition……"

Zhu Youxiao picked up the hot tea, his fingertips tracing the warm rim of the cup. His voice was a few decibels deeper than before. His gaze swept over Wei Chao and Wei Zhongxian, who were kneeling on the ground, and he said:

"These are turbulent times. The south of the Yangtze River is not yet pacified, the salt tax needs to be reorganized, and the gates of the Forbidden City must be well protected."

"I have placed great trust in the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot, appointing you to head the Directorate of Ceremonial and oversee the Eastern Depot. If even within these palace walls, scum are infiltrated, allowing those with ulterior motives to exploit loopholes, then you two deserve to die a thousand deaths."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao and Wei Zhongxian shuddered, cold sweat broke out on their foreheads again, and they even breathed more softly.

They understood what it meant to "mix sand into the Forbidden City".

They are assassins, secret agents, or even a plot to assassinate His Majesty.

Wei Chao crawled half a step on his knees, his voice filled with urgent fear:
"Your Majesty, rest assured! I will definitely increase the number of guards patrolling inside and outside the Forbidden City by three times. At the palace gates, even vegetable farmers and servants entering the palace will have their waist tokens checked three times."

Even the palace maids and eunuchs in the inner palace checked the roster every day, without the slightest oversight!

If even a fly dares to fly in without notification, this servant will immediately offer up her head to thank Your Majesty!

Wei Zhongxian quickly followed suit, kowtowing loudly, his forehead striking the gold brick with a dull thud.

"This servant will also have the Eastern Depot agents keep an eye on all suspicious persons in the capital, especially the families of officials who have close ties with the gentry of Jiangnan. Anyone who comes near the palace gates will be detained and questioned! We will not allow any threat to get close to His Majesty!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded slowly, his gaze falling on the darkening sky outside the window.

He knew in his heart that this reminder was by no means superfluous.

The rectification of Jiangnan has already touched the foundation of the gentry. Next, the salt tax will offend the salt merchants all over the country. When these people are pushed to the limit, they are capable of anything.

Historically, although the "Tianqi falling into the water" was an accident, who can guarantee that there was no human intervention involved?

As a time traveler, he would never allow history to repeat itself.

In the two years since his ascension to the throne, he had already managed to make the Forbidden City as impregnable as an iron fortress:
The keys to the palace gates were jointly controlled by the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The water source in the inner palace and the ingredients in the imperial kitchen were inspected by special personnel. Even the bricks and tiles on the palace walls were replaced with new ones, and hidden sentries were added.

But no matter how many precautions are taken, there is still a risk that the people in the inner court will become complacent.

"Go down."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, his voice returning to its usual calm.

"Remember what I said today, and do not disappoint me."

"Yes! I obey your command!"

Wei Chao and Wei Zhongxian felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They quickly got up from the ground, bowed, and retreated towards the entrance of the warm pavilion.

Their steps were somewhat unsteady, and they only dared to breathe a sigh of relief after stepping out of the warm pavilion and basking in the lingering warmth of dusk.

As soon as they turned through the corridor of the Qianqing Palace, their tense expressions instantly changed.

Wei Chao turned his head, his eyes full of contempt, and snorted coldly before speaking first:
"Wei Zhongxian, you'd better make sure your Eastern Depot agents are clean!"
Don't think that just because you have His Majesty's favor, you can secretly plant spies in the palace.

If our family finds out even the slightest wrongdoing on your part, we will not let you off easily!

Wei Zhongxian's lips curled into a sinister smile as he twirled the jade belt at his waist, showing no mercy to Wei Chao.

"This is something we should be saying to you."

As the chief eunuch in charge of the Bureau of Armory's embezzlement, you are undoubtedly to blame. If it weren't for His Majesty's mercy, you would have been skinned alive along with those embezzling servants long ago!

If I fail to handle any of my duties properly in the future, I will report this to His Majesty and see who suffers the same fate of having their property confiscated and their entire family exterminated first!

"Hmph! Let's see who falls first and who can become the 'ancestor' of this Forbidden City!"

Wei Chao turned pale with anger, flicked his sleeves, and was about to walk forward.

"Wait a minute."

Wei Zhongxian suddenly spoke, his eyes darkening.

"While we two are fighting, let's not forget there's an old fox in the palace."

He lowered his voice.

"Wang Tiqian is cunning; who knows what he's up to?"

If we fight to the bitter end, he'll be the one who benefits in the end.

Wei Chao stopped in his tracks, his expression changing slightly.

He had long noticed Wang Tiqian's subtle actions, but he had been blinded by his struggle with Wei Zhongxian. Now that he was awakened, he remembered the seemingly gentle but actually scheming Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

He snorted coldly, but his tone softened slightly:
"Do I need you to remind me? I've seen through Wang Tiqian's little schemes long ago."

If he dares to lay a finger on us again, we'll be the first to punish him!

After saying that, the two snorted coldly. One went to the duty room of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the other went to the office of the Eastern Depot. Their backs were impatient and sinister, and there was no trace of the obedience they had shown in the warm pavilion.

Inside the warm pavilion, Zhu Youxiao overheard part of the argument between the two through the window lattice, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs is now in a tripartite balance of power:

Wei Chao held the seal of office and had the power to approve imperial edicts; Wei Zhongxian was the director of the Eastern Depot and controlled the power of surveillance; Wang Tiqian was in charge of the Western Depot and formed his own faction.

The fact that these three people were wary of each other and kept each other in check was exactly the situation he wanted.

Triangles are the most stable. In order to compete for power, they will do their best to do their jobs well and keep an eye on each other's mistakes. They dare not be corrupt or negligent in the slightest.

If one person is allowed to become too powerful, or if the three collude with each other, the inner court will become a malignant tumor that is detached from imperial power, just like Feng Bao during the Wanli era, or Wei Zhongxian in later years when he held absolute power.

Now, the fiercer their struggle, the more they need the support of the imperial power so that he, as the emperor, can truly control the inner court and keep it firmly in his hands.

ha~
Zhu Youxiao yawned.

It's time for dinner, then I'll rest.

Whose card should I choose today?
What a happy trouble.

The next day. The sky was still shrouded in inky darkness, but the lanterns of the Office of the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs were already lit one after another. The orange-red light shone through the window paper, making the stone plaque of "Office of the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs" in front of the door gleam coldly.

Just after the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the officials hurried over, their feet treading on the morning frost, carrying memorials delivered from various places overnight, the pages still damp with the night dew.

The Office of Transmission was in charge of "presenting, reviewing, and rejecting memorials and reports from both inside and outside the court," serving as the "central hub" for information on government affairs. Even before dawn, no delays were allowed.

Inside the main hall of the government office, candlelight blazed brightly, and more than a dozen long tables were piled high with memorials, including "disaster reports" from local officials, "political suggestions" from officials in the capital, and "appeals" from ordinary people.

The subordinate officials each performed their duties:
Some squatted in front of their desks, sorting through memorials and classifying them into categories such as "submissions to the emperor," "memorials to the emperor," and "secret memorials," and affixing labels to the covers.

Some held inkpads and checked whether the official seals on the memorials were genuine.

Others would sit at their desks and record the source and summary of the memorials in the "Document Receipt of the Office of Transmission".

"Quickly! This memorial needs to be sent out urgently!"

Suddenly, an official responsible for receiving secret reports came quickly through the hall, carrying a thick brocade box, his voice filled with obvious urgency.

The brocade box was printed with the words "Gu Bingqian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites," and the cover still had fresh cinnabar ink on it, indicating that it had just been delivered to the government office.

He took three steps at a time and walked to the back hall, gently knocking on the door of the office of the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, Cao Yubian.

News of Gu Bingqian's recent frequent trips to Jiangnan had already spread throughout the official circles in Beijing. His sudden delivery of an urgent memorial at this moment was no small matter.

"Enter."

Cao Yubian's voice came from inside the room, hoarse from just waking up.

He had just put on his official robes, and there was still a half-cup of strong, cold tea on the table. Seeing his subordinate bring in a brocade box, he rubbed his temples and pointed to the table:
"From which place was this urgent memorial submitted?"

"Reporting to the Duke of Tongzheng, it was delivered by Vice Minister Gu of the Ministry of Rites. It is of great importance, and the subordinates dare not handle it without authorization."

The subordinate official placed the brocade box on the table, stepped aside, and stood with his hands at his sides.

This brocade box was three times thicker than the usual boxes for memorials, and it felt heavy in my hands, clearly containing more than just one or two pieces of paper.

"Gu Bingqian?"

Cao Yubian's brows furrowed instantly.

He reached into the brocade box, opened it, and took out the memorial inside.

It was a thick stack of books, with the title "List of the Chief Evils of Jiangnan and Evidence of Their Crimes" on the cover, and the handwriting was Gu Bingqian's own.

Cao Yubian patiently opened the book, his expression growing increasingly grim as he read. Eventually, he couldn't help but gasp, his fingers gripping the pages with even greater force.

The booklet not only listed the names of more than twenty people, including Qian Qianyi and Zhou Qiyuan, but also detailed their incriminating evidence:

There are letters between Qian Qianyi and the pirate Li Kuiqi, in which he wrote, "Using the power of the rioters, we will force Your Majesty to dismiss Yuan Keli."

There are accounts showing that Zhou Qiyuan misappropriated disaster relief funds to subsidize rioters, and every expenditure is clearly marked.

There are even records of Donglin Party members instigating students to "oppose the land survey" in the academy, with the time and place of the speeches clearly written down.

"Has Gu Bingqian... betrayed us?"

Cao Yubian muttered to himself, his eyes filled with shock.

Yesterday he was allies with Qian Qianyi, but today he has exposed all of Qian's crimes. This change of heart is too fast!

He suddenly looked up at his subordinate and asked, "Did Gu Bingqian submit a memorial to the Emperor yesterday?"

The official nodded hurriedly: "Reporting to the Duke of Tongzheng, yesterday at 9:00 AM, Vice Minister Gu did indeed submit a memorial in the Qianqing Palace. It is said that he met with His Majesty in the East Warm Pavilion for nearly an hour before coming out."

"So that's it."

Cao Yubian suddenly realized, and his brows gradually relaxed.

Gu Bingqian dared to "defect" in this way, which must have been at the Emperor's behest.

His audience with the Emperor yesterday was probably an opportunity for him to "atone for his crimes" by presenting these incriminating pieces of evidence so that His Majesty could use him to completely dismantle the alliance of the gentry in Jiangnan.

"Should this memorial be submitted to the cabinet according to regulations?"

Seeing that Cao Yubian's expression had softened, the subordinates cautiously asked him.

According to the procedures of the Office of Transmission, important memorials from officials in the capital must first be transferred to the Grand Secretariat, whereby the Grand Secretaries would draft them before presenting them to His Majesty.

Cao Yubian waved his hand, gently tapped the memorial on the table, and his eyes revealed a shrewd political acumen:
"There is no need to hand it over to the cabinet."

Go and inform the officer on duty that this memorial should be presented directly to His Majesty at the morning court session today.

Remember, it must be delivered to the Emperor personally; it must not pass through anyone else's hands.

The official was taken aback: "But today is the 23rd, not the 1st or 15th of the month. According to custom, there shouldn't be an early morning court session."

"His Majesty issued an oral decree yesterday, and an additional morning court session will be held today."

Cao Yubian's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"Why do you think His Majesty suddenly added an early morning court session? It's probably because he was waiting for this memorial."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"The matter in Jiangnan has dragged on for so long; His Majesty will probably use today's morning court session to settle things once and for all."

The subordinate official then understood and quickly bowed, replying, "Understood, I will make the arrangements immediately!"

Cao Yubian sat back down at his desk, picked up Gu Bingqian's memorial, and carefully read through it again.

The evidence in the booklet was terrifyingly detailed, including testimonies from servants in Qian Qianyi's household.

Your Majesty's move was brilliant. It not only used Gu Bingqian's "defection" to undermine the cohesion of the Donglin Party, but also used this irrefutable evidence to silence all dissenting voices and leave the gentry of Jiangnan with no way to refute it.

This is an attack on their moral character!
time flies.

Soon it was time to attend the morning court session.

The officials under the Office of Transmission had almost finished sorting through the memorials.

The memorials on the table were divided into three piles: "urgent," "routine," and "private."

The urgent memorial was bound with a red silk ribbon.

Regular memorials were neatly stacked in the order of the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the local governors and viceroys, each with a yellow label indicating the name of the official and the subject matter.

"This stack is to be sent to the Wenyuan Pavilion. Have the librarian pick it up immediately so as not to delay the cabinet ministers' drafting of the bill."

The head of the Bureau of Records pointed to the stack of memorials on the far left.

"The rest, especially the one with the red silk seal that Minister Gu wrote, will be presented directly to His Majesty later when we go to the Wenhua Hall with Minister Cao."

The officials quickly agreed.

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), civil and military officials were already lined up in order of rank at the foot of the jade steps outside the Wenhua Hall.

The cabinet ministers in scarlet robes stood at the front, followed closely by the ministers of the six ministries. The vice ministers and ministers of the court lined up in an orderly fashion, holding their official tablets at an angle, the crowns on their hats gleaming faintly in the morning light.

No one dared to whisper; the only sounds were the soft clatter of boots scraping against the blue bricks, occasionally punctuated by a few suppressed coughs.

"Your Majesty has arrived~"

As the eunuch announced his arrival in a loud voice, the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stepped forward with a golden whip in hand, and the three sharp cracks of the whip were deep and long.

All the civil and military officials turned around and bowed to the palace gate.

Zhu Youxiao, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, slowly walked up to the dragon throne in the hall. His black cloak with gold trim swayed gently with his steps, and the jade belt at his waist was adorned with a double fish charm. Every move he made exuded the majesty of an emperor.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

The courtiers knelt on the ground, and their shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed throughout the Wenhua Hall before finally subsiding.

Zhu Youxiao raised his hand to indicate "rise," and his gaze swept across the hall.

"Let's go to court."

As the eunuchs called out, "Let's go to court!"

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward first, holding his court tablet, and bowed to report:
"Your Majesty.

Two people came to the capital today to express their gratitude: the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shandong and the Provincial Councilor of Shaanxi.

Two people resigned from their posts in the capital: one was the Vice Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, and the other was a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

Whether or not to summon him is at Your Majesty's discretion.

Zhu Youxiao sat upright on the dragon throne, his voice calm and even:

"There is no need to summon them. Those who express their gratitude should be recorded by the Ministry of Personnel, and those who wish to resign should be granted permission according to precedent."

"As ordered!"

After the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies left.

Next, Cao Yubian, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, stepped forward.

He carried the sandalwood memorial box in both hands, walked slowly into the hall, bowed, and raised the box above his head:
"Your Majesty, the Office of Transmission received twenty-seven memorials today, three of which were urgent."

The reports were submitted by the Imperial Inspector of Jiangnan, who reported that "the rebellion in Songjiang is gradually being quelled"; Xiong Tingbi, the Military Commissioner of the Nine Border Regions, who reported that "the border forts have been repaired"; and Gu Bingqian, the Vice Minister of Rites, who reported "the circumstances surrounding the main culprit in Jiangnan".

The remaining memorials have all been prepared according to regulations and are respectfully submitted for Your Majesty's review.

The eunuch took the box containing the memorial and presented it to Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao opened the box, first flipping through the memorials of the Jiangnan Inspector and Xiong Tingbi, quickly glancing at them before setting them aside.

He picked up Gu Bingqian's memorial, sealed with red silk, and lingered his fingertips on the cover for a moment, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he looked up at the assembled officials:

"Do any of my beloved ministers have a memorial to present?"

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe was the first to step forward, holding his court tablet with a deliberate smile on his face.
“Your Majesty, three days ago, the Yanzhou Prefecture of Shandong reported that ‘auspicious grains’ had appeared within its borders, with three ears of grain growing from a single stalk. This is an omen of Your Majesty’s diligence in governing and loving the people, and of Heaven’s blessing. I request Your Majesty to proclaim this to the world to demonstrate Your Majesty’s virtuous rule!”

Saying these words at this time is somewhat inappropriate.

With the Jiangnan region still in chaos and the nine border regions still undergoing rectification, the officials had other matters on their minds and had no time to celebrate auspicious omens.

Zhu Youxiao gave a faint "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

Seeing this, Ye Xianggao, a senior cabinet minister standing nearby, quickly stepped forward, his tone tinged with urgency:

"Your Majesty, although what Grand Secretary Fang said is an auspicious omen, the situation in Jiangnan is even more dire!"
The recent peasant uprisings in Suzhou and Yangzhou have not yet been quelled, and the White Lotus sect has incited displaced people, threatening to cause even greater disaster. I earnestly request Your Majesty to immediately order Yuan Keli to lead troops to quell the rebellion, appease the people, and prevent the unrest from spreading!

Zhu Youxiao looked at Ye Xianggao's anxious expression, nodded, but still did not respond immediately, only saying:

"I am aware of Minister Ye's request. We will discuss it later."

Then came the reports from the ministers of the six ministries.

The Minister of Personnel reported on "the results of the assessment of officials", the Minister of War reported on "the progress of the training of the Beijing garrison", and the Minister of Justice reported on "the trial of prisoners in the imperial prison". Most of these were routine matters.

It wasn't until Li Changgeng, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward that his tone became more invigorated:
"Your Majesty, the autumn grain collection in Beizhili this year has been completed. The actual collection of millet was 3.2 million shi, wheat was 1.8 million shi, and sweet potatoes were converted into grain worth 6.5 million shi. The total collection is 5.05 million shi more than last year, an increase of nearly two times!"
This is all thanks to Your Majesty's promotion of sweet potatoes and the land survey, which has ensured that the people have grain to pay their taxes and that the national treasury is full!

Upon hearing this, many officials in the hall showed expressions of surprise.

Last year, Beizhili suffered a grain shortage due to drought, but this year its income has doubled, and the effectiveness of the new policy has truly exceeded expectations.

Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, saying, "Minister Li has done a good job in supervising the work. The Ministry of Revenue should record this, and he will be promoted one grade in the year-end evaluation."

Li Changgeng quickly expressed his gratitude and returned to the ranks.

After the six ministries finished presenting their reports, it was the turn of the vice ministers of each ministry.

Among the civil officials, Gu Bingqian's forehead was already covered in cold sweat, and the cuffs of his official robe were wrinkled from being gripped so tightly.

Last night, while drafting his memorial, he revised it repeatedly, fearing that it might not be detailed enough and offend His Majesty, or that it might be too harsh and invite retaliation from the Donglin Party.

Standing in the hall, feeling the gazes coming from all directions—some doubtful, some wary, and some with the subtle hostility of the Donglin Party members—he knew in his heart that there was no turning back now.

When the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies announced "Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites," Gu Bingqian took a deep breath, took a sudden step forward, held his court tablet, and stood bowing. His voice, though somewhat strained, was exceptionally clear:

"Your subject, Gu Bingqian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has a memorial to present!"

This sound broke the brief tranquility inside the Wenhua Hall.

The officials all turned their heads in surprise.

Cao Yubian and a few others who knew the inside story watched calmly. They knew that Gu Bingqian's memorial was likely to stir up a storm in the entire court.

Zhu Youxiao looked at the slightly trembling yet still upright figure in the hall, slowly opened the red silk memorial in his hand, and a subtle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The show is finally about to begin.

PS:

A long chapter of 7100 words!
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(End of this chapter)