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

The Qianqing Palace was completely silent.

The charcoal fire crackled in the bronze stove, but it couldn't dispel the chill seeping from the cracks in the bricks.

Zhu Youjian stared at Chen Zhiyuan, his eyes as complex as a deep pool of water.

The young Hanlin Compiler's words about restoring the Hongwu government-run industries truly resonated with him.

The prosperity of the Taizu and Chengzu emperors was precisely because the Zhu family controlled the production and trade of the entire country.

"Chen Zhiyuan, you make it sound so easy. What was the atmosphere like in the court when Emperor Taizu founded the dynasty? What were the officials' aspirations? What is the situation like now?"

He paused, a hint of weariness in his voice.

"In the three years since I ascended the throne, I have eliminated the eunuch faction, rectified official corruption, and risen at the fourth watch every day to review memorials until late at night."

"Tell me, haven't I done enough?"

Chen Zhiyuan knelt on the ground, his back ramrod straight.

"Your Majesty's diligence in governing is evident to all. However, I believe that to restore the political clarity and integrity of the time of Emperor Taizu, there is one thing that must be done."

"What is it?"

"Crack down on cronies."

The four characters, like four blocks of ice, were smashed onto the golden bricks of the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian's face instantly darkened.

"Cliques?" he sneered.

"I have completely eliminated Wei Zhongxian's eunuch faction."

"I have severely reprimanded those in the court who form cliques. What more do you want me to do?"

"Does it mean that only when the entire court is beheaded can we consider it a proper crackdown?"

His voice grew louder and louder, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Chen Zhiyuan, do you think I haven't killed enough people?"

The air inside the hall suddenly froze.

The eunuchs standing nearby even held their breath.

Chen Zhiyuan did not bow his head, but met the emperor's gaze and said, word by word, "Your Majesty, killing cannot solve the problem."

"Then what can solve the problem?"

Zhu Youjian suddenly stood up and stared at Chen Zhiyuan.

"Speak! I want to hear it."

"Because killing can only eliminate people, not eliminate evil."

Chen Zhiyuan's voice was calm, so calm that it only made Zhu Youjian angrier.

"Kill ten today, and twenty more will step forward tomorrow. Why? Because the court has become a battleground of factional strife, and those who do not participate in it have no chance of survival."

He paused, then continued.

"If an official wants to get things done, he will inevitably have to touch the interests of certain people."

"Without protection, one could be impeached, falsely accused, or even imprisoned and sentenced to death in an instant."

"Conversely, if one joins a certain party, even with a thousand faults, one will be protected by comrades and remain safe and sound."

"Over time, only two kinds of people remained in the court: those who lived for factional struggles and those who died for not being partisan."

"Does Your Majesty believe that with the eunuch faction eliminated, the court will be clean and just?"

"In reality, it was merely a shift from open conflict to covert struggle, transforming the conflict between the eunuch faction and the Donglin faction into a struggle between the Donglin, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Qi factions. Its intensity was even greater than before."

Zhu Youjian's breathing became rapid.

He stared at Chen Zhiyuan, his eyes burning with anger, but deeper still, there was a fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

Because he knew that what Chen Zhiyuan said might be true.

In these three years, he read too many memorials and met too many officials.

Those people appear respectful and loyal on the surface, but what about them in private?

How many people were secretly maneuvering when Qian Longxi was imprisoned?

When Yuan Chonghuan's case came to light, how many factions seized the opportunity to make a fuss?

"You mean," Zhu Youjian's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, "that my court can no longer tolerate the truth?"

Chen Zhiyuan remained silent for a moment.

Then he raised his head and slowly said, "If Your Majesty wishes to verify this, it is actually not difficult."

"How can I verify this?"

"Let's start with the Yuan Chonghuan case."

Chen Zhiyuan's gaze fell on the mountain of memorials piled up on the imperial desk.

"Your Majesty may order that the memorials impeaching Yuan Chonghuan and those defending him be sorted out separately. Then, each one should be verified."

"Verify what?"

"Verify whether what is stated in the memorial is true or false," Chen Zhiyuan said.

"For example, if someone says that Yuan Chonghuan had illicit dealings with Jianzhou, then we will investigate."

"When did the letter arrive? Who delivered it? What was the content of the letter? Is there any physical evidence? Is there any circumstantial evidence?"

"Some people say that Yuan Chonghuan's arbitrary killing of Mao Wenlong was arrogance, then investigate."

"Was Mao Wenlong truly guilty? Was the evidence conclusive? Should he have been executed according to the law? Was Yuan Chonghuan's execution by imperial decree, carried out without prior approval, in accordance with regulations?"

"Some people say that Yuan Chonghuan's five-year campaign to pacify Liaodong was an act of deceiving the emperor, then let's investigate."

"When Yuan Chonghuan made this military pledge, who in the court agreed? Who opposed it? What was the actual situation in Liaodong? Was it possible to pacify Liaodong in five years? If not, why did no one point it out at the time?"

He spoke so much in one breath, and only his calm voice echoed throughout the Qianqing Palace.

After Zhu Youjian sat back down at his desk, his fingers unconsciously traced the edges of the memorial.

"You mean... most of these memorials are empty words?"

"I dare not make a definitive statement," Chen Zhiyuan said.

"But I dare say that there must be falsehoods, frame-ups, and exaggerations in it. Why?"

"Because the purpose of those who submitted memorials was not to seek the truth, but to attack others."

Those who impeached Yuan Chonghuan may not have truly believed that he colluded with the enemy; they simply wanted to take the opportunity to attack the Donglin Party.

"Those who protect Yuan Chonghuan may not truly believe in his loyalty; they only want to protect Qian Longxi's lineage."

"It's not that they can't see the problem, it's that even if they do, they can't speak out. Because if they tell the truth, they might choose the wrong side, they might be isolated, they might... die without a burial place."

Zhu Youjian closed his eyes.

He recalled those memorials, those indignant words, those resounding accusations.

Could it be... that it was all just acting?

"The 'responsibility for speech' you mentioned earlier," Zhu Youjian suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, "is it for dealing with this?"

"Yes," Chen Zhiyuan said. "Using the Yuan Chonghuan case as a pilot, we will implement a system of accountability for public opinion. Anyone who submits a memorial must provide clear and factual evidence. The court will send people to verify the evidence; if it is true, the person will be rewarded; if it is false, the person will be punished."

"What if someone makes a false accusation?"

"He should be punished for it," Chen Zhiyuan said firmly.

"If Yuan Chonghuan is impeached for treason and no evidence is found, the impeacher shall be punished for making a false accusation. If Yuan Chonghuan is defended for his loyalty and he has indeed treasoned, the defender shall be punished for harboring a criminal."

He paused, then added, "Of course, these people should be given a chance to prove their innocence."

"Let them explain why they submitted such a memorial and what their basis is. Then the court can investigate and it will be clear whether it is true or false."

"When the final verdict in Yuan Chonghuan's case is reached," Chen Zhiyuan raised his head, his eyes burning.

"The authenticity of these memorials has been verified. At that time, those who deserve rewards will be rewarded, those who deserve punishment will be punished, and those who deserve execution will be executed... all with a legitimate reason."

"In this way, the system of accountability for speech is established. From now on, anyone who wants to use memorials to attack others in factional struggles will have to think twice. Can their words withstand scrutiny?"

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a long time.

The charcoal crackled in the copper stove, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at Chen Zhiyuan.

"Can you handle this?"