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

The wind on the platform has stopped.

Zhu Youjian's question was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool.

Cheng Jiming raised his head, and the wrinkles on his face appeared even deeper in the sunlight.

He opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.

Zhou Yanru reacted the fastest.

He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, why do you say such a thing? Our Great Ming Dynasty has been established for over 260 years, with a deep foundation and the support of the people."

"Though there are temporary difficulties, Your Majesty is wise and diligent, working tirelessly day and night to govern the country. A revival is within reach. The Ming Dynasty will surely last for ten thousand generations, forever a glorious dynasty!"

He spoke with great passion, his voice echoing across the platform.

Qian Shisheng quickly followed.

"What Grand Secretary Zhou said is absolutely right. His Majesty is in the prime of his life, diligent in governing and loving the people. There are many virtuous and capable officials in the court, and the soldiers on the border are willing to risk their lives."

"A few minor misdeeds in military spending will naturally be cleared up once investigated. How can a dynasty's legacy be shaken by a single momentary event?"

He Wuzhou did not speak, but simply stood there with his head bowed.

Cheng Jiming also spoke up.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has served three dynasties and has personally witnessed the Ming Dynasty stand firm through trials and tribulations."

"During the Wanli and Tianqi reigns, the political situation was extremely difficult. The eunuch faction was rampant, and border troubles were frequent, but the court ultimately survived."

"Your Majesty's current purge of the eunuch faction and rectification of officialdom is a sign of a revival. This is a statement that will be remembered for generations to come, and it is by no means an empty boast."

Of the four cabinet ministers, three expressed their opinions.

Only He Wuzhou remained bowed, silent.

Zhu Youjian looked at them, and a slow smile appeared on his lips.

"hehe."

The laughter was short and soft, yet it instantly froze the atmosphere on the platform.

Cheng Jiming's expression froze for a moment.

Zhou Yanru's words came to an abrupt halt.

Qian Shisheng lowered his head, glancing at the emperor out of the corner of his eye before quickly looking away.

He Wuzhou remained bowed, motionless.

Zhu Youjian did not look at them.

He turned around and walked to the edge of the platform, looking at the layers of glazed tiles in the distance.

"For all eternity."

He repeated the word.

"When I ascended the throne, the imperial treasury had 1.2 million taels of silver. By the end of last year, only 500,000 taels remained."

"From the first month of this year until now, the documents from the Ministry of Revenue demanding payment have piled up to half a person's height. Liaodong is three months behind on payments, Xuanda is two months behind, and Shaanxi is four months behind. The officers and soldiers who are suppressing bandits haven't received their pay for three months."

He paused.

"The people of Shaanxi are selling their children to pay taxes. The people of Henan are eating tree bark and grass roots to survive. The bandits in Shanxi have already breached two county towns."

He turned around and looked at the four cabinet ministers.

"Mr. Cheng, Mr. Zhou, Mr. Qian, Mr. He. You all speak of eternity to me. I wish to ask, before eternity, what about next year?"

Cheng Jiming's lips moved, but he didn't speak.

Zhou Yanru frowned.

Qian Shisheng lowered his head, a thin layer of sweat seeping from his forehead.

He Wuzhou finally straightened up, looked at the emperor, but did not speak.

Zhu Youjian walked back to the throne, but did not sit down.

He stood there, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the four cabinet ministers.

"I am asking you this question today not to hear you talk about eternity."

"What I want to hear is, what should we do next?"

He looked at Cheng Jiming.

"Mr. Cheng, you said to investigate first before sentencing. I agree. But what happens after the investigation? What happens after the sentencing? If a new person is appointed, they will still follow the old ways. That 680,000 taels will still disappear next year."

Cheng Jiming remained silent for a while.

"Your Majesty is wise. This old minister...this old minister has not considered things thoroughly."

Zhu Youjian looked at Zhou Yanru.

"Mr. Zhou, you say killing is the fastest way. I agree. Those who deserve to die should be killed. But after the killing, the rules will remain the same, and the loopholes will remain the same. Newcomers will still do the same thing."

Zhou Yanru kept his head down and didn't say anything.

Zhu Youjian looked at Qian Shisheng and He Wuzhou.

"What about you? Do you have any ideas?"

Qian Shisheng opened his mouth, but said nothing.

He Wuzhou remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Your Majesty, I believe that what Vice Minister Chen just said might be... a solution."

Zhu Youjian looked at him.

"you say."

He Wuzhou said.

"Investigate, convict, make public, and reform. Four steps. After the investigation, let the court and the public know that the government is reforming military spending."

"After conviction, let the government and the public see that corrupt officials will be severely punished. After the facts are made public, let the whole world know where the money went and who took it. After the reform, close the loopholes so that no one can take advantage of them later."

He paused.

"I just felt that this move was too risky. But Your Majesty asked 'what to do?' After thinking it over, it seems... that this is the only way to solve the problem at its root."

Zhu Youjian did not speak immediately.

He looked at He Wuzhou for a while.

Then he looked at Chen Zhiyuan.

"Chen Zhiyuan, I have remembered all four steps you just mentioned."

Chen Zhiyuan bowed.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

Zhu Youjian said.

"I ask you, what would happen if we started making it public now?"

Chen Zhiyuan raised his head.

"Your Majesty, what I said earlier was that we should make it public after the facts are verified. If we make it public now, the evidence is not yet sufficient and the people involved have not yet been identified. Opponents in the court will use this as an excuse to say that the court is 'making baseless accusations' and 'fabricating charges.' At that time, the backlash will be fiercer and the resistance will be greater."

Zhu Youjian nodded.

"I understand. I'm not going to make it public now."

He paused.

"What I want is for the facts to be verified and then made public. And the disclosure must be thorough."

He looked at Chen Zhiyuan.

"I think the official gazettes and proclamations you mentioned are acceptable. But they are not enough. I want the whole world to know what the military expenditures are all about, where the money goes, and who took it."

"I want the names of those corrupt officials to be posted on the city gates, so that the people, the scholars, and the soldiers on the frontier can see them."

"I want future generations to think of those names and their fates when they try to take advantage of others."

He spoke very slowly, each word seeming to be squeezed out of his chest.

Cheng Jiming was stunned.

Zhou Yanru's expression changed.

Qian Shisheng's hands trembled slightly.

He Wuzhou looked at the emperor with a complicated expression.

Zhu Youjian continued.

"I know that doing this is risky. It may cause unrest, it may shake the court and the public, and it may provoke some people to take desperate measures."

"But I've also come to a realization. There's an even greater risk in not doing it this way."

He looked at Cheng Jiming.

"Mr. Cheng, you just said that we should first investigate and determine the guilt, and then decide based on the situation. I ask you, if public opinion becomes unstable after the investigation, what do you plan to do?"

Cheng Jiming opened his mouth.

Zhu Youjian answered for him.

"You might say, let's hold off for now, let's talk about it after things calm down. And then what? And then nothing happens. That's it."

"Next year, the year after, and the year after that. The military budget will remain the same, the vacancies will remain the same, and the corrupt officials will remain the same."

He looked at Cheng Jiming.

"Mr. Cheng, how long do you think the Ming Dynasty can remain so stable?"

Cheng Jiming remained silent.

He bent his back even lower.

Zhou Yanru stood aside, his mind racing.

He suddenly realized something.

The emperor was not consulting with them.

The emperor was telling them that he had made his decision.

The decision was made to investigate thoroughly, to make the matter public, and to reform the system.

The decision was made to take this risk.

The decision was made to no longer be "safe".