Huangming

Chapter 56 A Battle of Wits with the Pure Stream: I'll Fight to the End

Although the sun has set from the sky, it still casts its blazing rays.

The rain a few days ago came like a shadow and went like the wind; the darkness gathered quickly and dissipated even faster.

Ciqing Palace.

In the Duanben Hall.

Zhu Youxiao held the eulogy he would use the next day and read it over and over again.

Tomorrow is the day of the funeral procession, and the day after tomorrow is the day of the burial.

Although he did not have to go to the ruined tomb of Emperor Jingtai at Tianshou Mountain, he still had to personally offer sacrifices and recite the sacrificial text at the altar set up outside Desheng Gate.

The eulogy was very long, containing many uncommon characters, and some of them were not easily understood by Zhu Youxiao at first glance.

Although he holds a doctorate, he does not specialize in classical Chinese. While he has some basic knowledge of classical Chinese, he has not yet reached the point where he can read it with complete ease.

In particular, in this era, articles do not have punctuation marks.

Sentence structure and punctuation rely entirely on a sense of language.

The difficulty of this reading has increased to another level.

Zhu Youxiao read it aloud, adding punctuation marks as he went, according to later interpretations, until the content of the sacrificial text became clear and understandable.

Zhu Youxiao made up his mind.

This punctuation mark must be added when the ministers submit their memorials; otherwise, wouldn't he get dizzy just reading it when he's handling state affairs?

The emperor was calmly and leisurely reading the sacrificial text, while Wei Chao, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, looked absent-minded.

As news of the raids on his home came one after another, Wei Chao's heart grew heavier and heavier.

His Majesty has launched a massive prison crackdown, and now everyone is doomed.

How will the cabinet respond? How will the ministers respond?
This was a problem that the Wei Dynasty was worried about.

What if the ministers react strongly?

Although those officials dared not directly condemn the emperor for being muddle-headed and tyrannical, they dared to say that the emperor was being misled by treacherous eunuchs.

In order to quell the anger of the court officials, will His Majesty push him out and make him a political sacrifice?

At this moment, Wei Chao was like a little child picking up firecrackers—completely flustered.

Finally, the eunuch from the palace gate arrived in a hurry.

"Your Majesty, the cabinet ministers have submitted their petitions, requesting an audience with the emperor."

Zhu Youxiao put down the eulogy and asked, "Which cabinet ministers were included?"

"Second Grand Secretary Liu Yi-ju, Grand Secretaries Han Kuang, and Zhu Guo-zuo."

Zhu Youxiao smiled slightly and said, "Let Liu Yizhu in."

Before long, Liu Yijun strode into the hall.

"Your Majesty, I, Liu Yijun, the Second Grand Secretary, respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!"

"I am well. Please rise, and be given a seat." Zhu Youxiao looked down at the old minister kneeling on the ground with a blank expression.

The attending eunuchs had brought over the small stool early on.

Liu Yiju got up from the ground and sat on a small stool, his breathing still a little rapid.

"What is the purpose of this audience, Your Excellency?"

Liu Yizhu swallowed hard, straightened his back, and his dilated pupils gradually focused, revealing a sharp glint in his eyes.

He rose, prostrated himself, and kowtowed, his goatee trembling as he spoke: "Your Majesty, please allow me to report:"

This old minister believes that excessive punishment may damage benevolence; only by treating the people with leniency can we benefit the world. Currently, impeachment memorials are piling up, and the prisons are overflowing. However, the late emperor's coffin has not yet been buried and remains in the palace. If we were to send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest people everywhere at this time, and the court were to be constantly subjected to beatings…”

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing, the pheasant pattern on his robe rising and falling with his rapid breathing: "I do not wish to protect corrupt officials, but only that Your Majesty emulate Emperor Chengzu's magnanimity in forgiving the 'Three Yangs' and learn from Emperor Xiaozong's lenient treatment of officials who speak out. Even if there are truly corrupt officials who deserve punishment, it should wait until the late emperor's mausoleum is completed and Your Majesty's mourning period is over, so as to truly demonstrate the sage ruler's boundless and magnanimous heart!"

After Liu Yijing finished speaking, he waited quietly for the emperor's next words.

The waiting time always felt long, and the passing of time felt like torture to Liu Yiju.

Finally, the Ming emperor spoke.

"What if I don't agree?"

Liu Yi-jing straightened up abruptly, his graying temples brushing against the pheasant pattern on his official robes, and knocked three times on the blue bricks, the sound ringing out. "We are not the arrogant and rebellious Zhang Cong, but if Your Majesty insists on initiating imperial prisons and abolishing channels of communication..."

Liu Yiju's temples throbbed with veins, his official robes rippled with the rise and fall of his chest, and his eyes revealed a resolute determination to fight to the death.

"We, your humble servants, shall emulate the past deeds of the officials who knelt before the palace gates in the fourteenth year of the Zhengde reign, leading two hundred men of the six ministries and thirteen circuits, kneeling before the Zuoshun Gate while still in our imperial robes!"

"By then, the late emperor's coffin will still be there, but the positions of court officials will be vacant, the mausoleum construction will be left unsupervised, and the sacrificial ceremony will be left unattended! The historian's pen will be merciless, and he will surely record that 'In the autumn of the first year of Taichang, in the ninth month, the new emperor took the throne and within ten months, the coup of 'knocking on the palace gates' began!'"

"Crazy!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao's face changed color, and his entire body trembled, whether from anger or fear, it was unclear.

He angrily rebuked Liu Yiju, and even wanted the Imperial Guards outside the door to drag Liu Yiju out.

However, Emperor Zhu Youxiao of the Ming Dynasty remained unchanged.

"Are you trying to challenge me to a duel?"

Liu Yijing said in a deep voice, "This old minister dares not."

Ah!
Don't dare?

You already are!
Zhu Youxiao chuckled and asked again, "Liu Yizhu, are you still a subject of the Ming Dynasty?"

Liu Yiju raised his head to look at the emperor, his gaze firm, and declared loudly, "Your subject is naturally a subject of the Great Ming!"

Zhu Youxiao, with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, rebuked:
"As subjects of the Great Ming, you do not act like subjects, nor do you understand the proper etiquette between ruler and subject. You keep talking about the ancestral system of the Great Ming, but did it not punish corrupt officials? During the Hongwu reign, Emperor Taizu showed no leniency towards corrupt officials. The case of the blank seal resulted in the execution of countless corrupt officials, with no talk of 'favors' (a form of imperial favor). Now, Grand Secretary, you want me to spare these people?"

Faced with the emperor's questioning, Liu Yizhu's face turned pale.

He originally thought that when the emperor heard his minister's fierce words, even if he was not afraid, he should at least take a step back.

Does Your Majesty not worry about your reputation after death?

Aren't you worried that there will be no one to handle political affairs?
As for Zhu Youxiao...

How can you, a member of the Donglin Party, dictate what will be remembered after death?

Even if you have countless mouthpieces and your writing is full of subtle criticism, he doesn't care at all.

History is written by the victors.

As for political affairs, are you Donglin Party members the only ones capable of handling them?
At worst, I'll just become Zhu Chongba and revise two hundred memorials a day. What difference would it make?
Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao's voice became even more impassioned.

"You people have enjoyed the court's salary for over twenty years, yet you dare to use the late emperor's funeral as a bargaining chip! Do you even remember that you were once the late emperor's subjects? To act in this way during the mourning period for your sovereign and father is disloyal and unfilial. Do you still have the face to call yourselves subjects of the Ming Dynasty?"

quarrel?

Zhu Youxiao was already in a high position, and now that he has done nothing wrong, he naturally stands on the moral high ground. How could you be my opponent?
"If you dare to commit such a treasonous act—I will personally wear the late emperor's sacrificial robes tomorrow, and if there are no officials to handle the mausoleum affairs, I will send eunuchs! I want to see whether you kneel outside the Zuoshun Gate until your knees rot, or I will first tear these rotten rats that have emptied the court to pieces!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yizhu trembled and knelt down, unable to utter a single word.

Faced with his threats, the emperor stood firm, so what could he do?
To challenge the emperor to a duel?

That would truly make them subjects without father or ruler.

but.
If we do not resist, the upright officials in the censorate will be successively investigated and punished. Will there still be any honest ministers in the censorate in the future?
Does this mean Your Majesty can do whatever you want?
When a hard approach didn't work, Liu Yijuan immediately changed his attitude and tried a softer one.

"We have no intention of rebelling. We only ask that Your Majesty prioritize the affairs of the state and the overall situation."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "I am not a plant or tree, how can I be without feelings? As for those who accept gifts of ice, charcoal, or other valuables, I will not pursue the matter too much. However, if they are corrupt, pervert the law, focus on factional strife, and disrupt the court, I will not tolerate them!"

Zhu Youxiao stepped down from the throne and slowly walked to Liu Yizhu's side, saying, "The Vice Minister keeps saying that he prioritizes national affairs and the overall situation. Have you all truly prioritized national affairs and the overall situation?"

At this point, Zhu Youxiao expressed his feelings:

"This world belongs to me, and it also belongs to all the people. If you are truly loyal to the country, you should not be thinking about protecting corrupt officials, but about how to do practical things to save the country and make it prosperous."

“The country is plagued by disasters and calamities. Even outside the capital, there are refugees. I am their sovereign and father, and you are their upright and just officials.”

Zhu Youxiao helped Liu Yiju up, but noticed that the old man didn't dare to look him in the eye.

"They are starving and in dire need of capable ministers to comfort them; the Ming Dynasty is riddled with problems and urgently needs great talents to govern the country and save the day."

The emperor's words were earnest and meaningful:
"What I need are pragmatic and capable officials, not ministers who engage in empty talk and factional strife! Now, Prime Minister, leave. Once you leave Cining Palace, whatever you wish to do, I will grant your request!"

The words stop here.

You want to challenge me to a duel?

Then I'll play along to the very end!

(End of this chapter)