The Ming Dynasty: Starting with Emperor Chongzhen's crackdown on factionalism

The 13th day of the third month of the third year of the Chongzhen reign.

In Beijing, the north wind blows like a knife.

Inside the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City, the charcoal fire in the bronze incense burner was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill seeping from the cracks in the bricks.

Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, sat alone behind his desk, holding a vermilion brush in his hand, but he could not bring himself to write for a long time.

His gaze fell on a memorial to the throne.

That was the final verdict in the Yuan Chonghuan case reported by the Ministry of Justice. He was just waiting for his imperial approval before the official execution.

"Yuan Chonghuan..."

Zhu Youjian murmured the name, his fingertips turning white from the pressure.

The wind howled outside the window, just like last year when the Later Jin cavalry broke through the Great Wall and marched straight towards the capital.

Even with his eyes closed, he could still see the towering flames outside Deshengmen.

You can hear the cries of the people fleeing for their lives, and you can feel the fear of sitting on the dragon throne while feeling as if you are hanging in an abyss.

And all of this stemmed from the person he once trusted implicitly.

In April of the first year of the Chongzhen reign, he met Yuan Chonghuan for the first time.

At that time, he had just ascended the throne and was eager to revitalize the country, as the mess in Liaodong urgently needed to be cleaned up.

When Yuan Chonghuan went to Beijing to pay homage to the emperor, he spoke eloquently and fluently while presenting his memorial on the platform.

"Your Majesty has bestowed special favor upon me, and I humbly request permission to act as I see fit. I estimate that within five years, the entire Liaodong region can be recovered."

He still remembers that sentence word for word.

Five years to pacify Liaodong—what a bold and ambitious statement!

At that time, Yuan Chonghuan had a firm gaze and spoke with conviction, as if he could truly turn the tide.

And he, a mere seventeen-year-old emperor newly enthroned, so desperately needed a minister like this, a promise like this.

He gave Yuan Chonghuan unprecedented trust.

With the imperial sword, the governorship of Jiliao, and the control of four garrisons, he even chose to defend Yuan Chonghuan when court officials questioned his unauthorized killing of Mao Wenlong.

Mao Wenlong was arrogant and domineering, and indeed committed illegal acts. Yuan Chonghuan used the imperial sword to execute him first and report later. Although this may seem like an act of despotism, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

He told himself that.

Until October of last year, Huang Taiji led the Later Jin army to bypass the Ningjin defense line, broke through the Great Wall at Gubeikou, and marched straight towards Beijing.

At that moment, he realized how utterly illusory Yuan Chonghuan's so-called "pacification of Liaodong in five years" was.

Only then did I realize how weak the defenses of Jizhou were.

Only then did he realize that the minister he had placed so much hope in had actually allowed the enemy army to advance unimpeded!

Yuan Chonghuan rushed to the rescue under cover of darkness and fought a bloody battle with the Later Jin outside Guangqumen.

That battle was won, and the capital was saved.

But behind the victory lay the terror of the city's inhabitants and the doubts of the government and the public.

Why were the Later Jin able to easily break through the Great Wall?

Why were Yuan Chonghuan's defenses ineffective?

Furthermore, a secret report claimed that Yuan Chonghuan had secretly met with Huang Taiji's envoy, suggesting he was colluding with the enemy.

Zhu Youjian's hands trembled.

He recalled that after Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, the soldiers in Liaodong mutinied, and Zu Dashou led his army back east.

I recall the heated debate among the court officials over whether to fight or defend, kill or spare Yuan Chonghuan.

I recall those memorials, some openly, some covertly, pleading for Yuan Chonghuan's life.

It was as if he, the emperor, had become a muddle-headed tyrant who had destroyed his own defenses.

"Your Majesty, Yuan Chonghuan must not be killed! The soldiers in Liaodong all regard him as their leader. If he is killed, I fear the morale of the army will soar, and the border will be in grave danger!"

"Your Majesty, although Commander Yuan has failed in his duties, his victory at the Battle of Guangqumen repelled the enemy cavalry and preserved the capital. His merits and demerits should outweigh his faults!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Think it over?

He thought about it more than three times!

He tossed and turned every night, pondering the matter repeatedly.

If Yuan Chonghuan was innocent, how could the Later Jin army have entered the territory so easily?

If Yuan Chonghuan was truly loyal, why would he need to secretly meet with the enemy envoy?

If the pacification of Liaodong in five years was true, how could the capital have fallen so many times today?

What chilled him even more was the undercurrent of unrest in the imperial court.

The Donglin Party, remnants of the eunuch faction, the Zhejiang Party, the Hubei Party...

On the surface, these cronies had vanished after his ascension to the throne, but in reality, they were merely lurking beneath the surface, their influence surging beneath the surface.

In the case of Yuan Chonghuan, various factions seized the opportunity to attack each other.

Some wanted to use Yuan Chonghuan to strike at their political enemies, some wanted to protect Yuan Chonghuan to win over the border towns, and some wavered and watched the winds blow.

When will the Ming Dynasty's court be able to unite as one with its ruler and ministers to jointly resist foreign aggression?

Zhu Youjian put down his vermilion brush and rubbed his aching temples.

The memorials on the desk were piled up like mountains, most of them irrelevant and either praising the emperor, impeaching each other, or talking about empty principles.

He picked up a document at random; it was a greeting letter from the Vice Minister of Rites.

Another document was an impeachment by an imperial censor against an official for accepting bribes—the evidence was meager and the details were vague.

He closed his eyes wearily.

At that moment, a unique memorial came into view.

The cover is light blue, and the calligraphy is neat and elegant, indicating it comes from the Hanlin Academy.

A leisurely government office whose main duties were compiling history and writing articles.

The signature was "Chen Zhiyuan, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy," a name he didn't recognize.

Zhu Youjian initially intended to shelve the matter, but the words "reflections on Wang Anshi's reforms" stirred something within him.

He unfolded the memorial, his handwriting neat and his writing fluent.

"Your subject Yichen respectfully reports: Recently, while reading history up to the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, I have been deeply moved by the beginning and end of Wang Anshi's reforms."

"The purpose of reform and strengthening the nation was to benefit the country. However, less than ten years after the implementation of the new laws, the government and the people were divided, factions rose up, and ultimately the government died and the country declined."

"I dare to venture an analysis of the reasons, which may offer some lessons for our present time."

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow slightly.

A mere junior editor in the Hanlin Academy dares to discuss the merits and demerits of the previous dynasty's reforms; he's quite bold.

He continued reading.

"Wang Anshi's initial goal in implementing the reforms was to enrich the country and strengthen its military."

"The laws concerning the Green Sprouts Act, Exemption from Service, and Market Exchange all have their basis in reality."

"How can good laws and well-intentioned policies ultimately become oppressive and disruptive to the people? How can loyal ministers and generals turn against each other like fire and water?"

"In my opinion, the problem lies not in the law, but in the people; not in the government, but in the system."

"What does 'dependence on people' mean? The implementation of the new law depends on officials."

"However, Wang Anshi employed people like Lü Huiqing and Zhang Dun, who, although outstanding in talent, were morally flawed and eager for quick success and instant benefits."

"In order to achieve political achievements, local officials forcibly lent money to the people for the green seedlings, without asking what they needed."

"In order to increase tax revenue, they imposed exorbitant exemption fees, regardless of whether the person was poor."

"This is not a fault of the reform itself, but rather a fault of improper personnel selection and ineffective supervision."

Upon reading this, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but think of Yuan Chonghuan.

He also granted Yuan Chonghuan immense power, but what was the result?

The imperial sword became a weapon for eliminating dissidents, and the promise to pacify Liaodong in five years became an empty one.

The words "misjudging people" stung him like needles.

He composed himself and continued reading.

"What is meant by 'in accordance with the law'? The implementation of the new law has caused a great uproar in the court."

"Sima Guang, Su Shi, Wen Yanbo and other important officials all said it was not advisable."

"However, in order to implement the new laws quickly and to eliminate dissidents, Wang Anshi expelled all those who did not agree with the new laws from the court."

"Thus, virtuous men resigned, and petty men gained power. The court was divided, with each faction forming its own clique."

"Sima Guang and others are conservative and narrow-minded, which is certainly debatable. However, Wang Anshi’s reasons for blocking the channels of communication and acting arbitrarily, such as ‘the changes of the heavens are not to be feared, the ancestral laws are not to be followed, and the opinions of the people are not to be heeded,’ are completely wrong."

"If there are no outspoken ministers in the court, then mistakes will go unheard. If channels of communication are blocked, then the people's grievances will not be heard. By the time the new laws have become riddled with problems, there will be no opportunity to correct them."

Zhu Youjian's breathing gradually became rapid.

Isn't this the same dilemma he faces?

The court officials held differing opinions, and the debate raged on about the defense of Liaodong and the fate of Yuan Chonghuan.

He longed for someone to give him a definite answer, to tell him what was right and what was wrong.

But whenever he asked his ministers, he often received ambiguous answers or accusations and mutual attacks.

This memorial, however, was different; every word was like a knife, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"The harm of factions is a clear lesson from history."

"During the Tang Dynasty, the Niu-Li factional strife led to the neglect of state affairs for over forty years. During the Song Dynasty, the New and Old factional strife caused the country to fluctuate and its strength to decline day by day."

How do cliques form?

"I believe there are three reasons: First, shared interests—those who share the same interests gather together; second, shared ideals—those who share the same path unite; and third, fear—those who cannot protect themselves form factions to resist."

"But the root cause lies in the lack of clarity regarding rights and responsibilities, and the unfairness of rewards and punishments."

"If there were regulations in the court stipulating that those who speak out must bear responsibility, and those who make recommendations must be held accountable for their results, then factionalism would naturally disappear."

"Why? If A criticizes B's mistakes, then let A take over B's position. If A can do a better job, then he should be promoted."

"If not, then punish him for speaking falsely. If Bing recommends Ding for his virtue, then Bing shall vouch for Ding. If Ding performs meritorious service, Bing shall be rewarded equally. If Ding commits a fault, Bing shall be implicated."

Zhu Youjian suddenly sat up straight.

This passage was like a lightning bolt that cleaved through the fog in his heart.