Chapter 157: The Heavens Are Changing

The situation had taken a sudden turn for the worse — no one had seen this coming.

In the instant the news first broke, many people thought things wouldn't escalate to this point. But in just a few days, matters had already developed to where they now stood.

As Zhu Youxiao issued an edict urging them to stay, everyone knew there was no longer any possibility of this changing.

The several Grand Secretaries who had been urged to stay immediately submitted their resignation memorials once again, and Zhu Youxiao again issued edicts urging them to remain.

But after three times, on the fourth, Zhu Youxiao issued a decree permitting them to resign, and the three Grand Secretaries went straight home.

Although Zhu Youxiao also gave the three Grand Secretaries the treatment they were due, the fact remained that they were gone.

This affair had an enormous impact on both the court and the wider realm. With three Grand Secretaries leaving the Grand Secretariat at once, everyone in the government knew the heavens were about to change.

Besides the three Grand Secretaries themselves, others also began submitting memorials, and the results were the same. After three times, Zhu Youxiao approved them all.

The Grand Secretariat was suddenly emptied, leaving only Liu Yijing and Han Kuang.

Matters had developed to an irredeemable point.

As the wind shifted direction, the impeachers turned their targets onto Liu Yijing and Han Kuang as well.

And so Liu Yijing and Han Kuang also submitted their resignation memorials, and the affair formally reached its peak.

Meanwhile, inside the Eastern Depot, the interrogation of the case was proceeding very quickly.

Wei Zhongxian flipped through the confessions in his hands, a look of delight spreading across his face.

Unlike before, this time Wei Zhongxian was not seated but stood there reading. It wasn't that he didn't want to sit — it was that his body still bore wounds and he could not sit.

"Very good. You all continue. I'm going to the palace." After saying this, Wei Zhongxian left. He walked slowly, wishing he could sprout wings and fly straight to the palace.

Sun Yunhe stood in place, his face full of joy. Though his eyes were somewhat red, proof that interrogating cases was indeed exhausting, he was excited through and through.

Because this affair thoroughly proclaimed the Eastern Depot's rise.

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Wei Zhongxian, idly toying with the confessions in his hands, his face expressionless.

In truth, this was something Zhu Youxiao had long anticipated. From the very beginning of his scheming he had foreseen this step — even the departure of the Grand Secretaries was within his expectations, and the same logic applied throughout the entire court.

This great purge had implicated many people.

Starting from the six ministry offices, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue were all caught up in it. Only the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Personnel remained — but they were merely standing aside for the moment; they would be moved against later.

Beyond that, the Censorate had already been largely purged as well.

At this point, it was essentially time to draw in the net, and the candidates he had arranged could now come in.

Those who had been selected and remained were the ones who could be used for now. As for whether they would continue to be used in the future, that would depend on their performance from here on.

Setting down the confessions in his hands, Zhu Youxiao spoke: "Minister of War Cui Jingrong is to be imprisoned, and Minister of Revenue Wang Ji is to be imprisoned alongside him. The Eastern Depot is to investigate their cases as quickly as possible and give the people of the realm an accounting."

Hearing this, Wei Zhongxian was instantly elated, hastily kneeling on the ground and saying, "This servant will see to it at once."

This was the first time Wei Zhongxian had toppled Ministers of the Six Ministries — and two at once, no less.

For Wei Zhongxian, this was a great step forward, the establishment of his authority. For him, this was the starting point of his career and at the same time his revenge — there was no way he could not be excited.

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Go handle it."

Wei Zhongxian turned and left.

Zhu Youxiao turned his head to look at Chen Hong. "Has the date for my grand wedding been set? Has the Directorate of Astronomy calculated an auspicious day?"

For Zhu Youxiao, in such a moment of excellent spirits, it was only natural to speak of something joyful.

Chen Hong hastily replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the memorial has already been submitted — it is right here."

Saying this, Chen Hong presented the memorial and stood respectfully to one side.

Opening the memorial, Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction. The date was set for the seventeenth day of the fourth month.

As for whether it was truly an auspicious day, Zhu Youxiao did not know. But that did not matter — what mattered was that he could finally marry again. This would be his second marriage across two lifetimes. Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao smiled wryly at himself.

Setting the memorial down, Zhu Youxiao said, "Since the date has been chosen, prepare for it as quickly as possible."

An emperor's grand wedding would naturally not be too simple, but the current circumstances did not permit it to be too elaborate either, after all, Zhu Youxiao had only just ascended the throne. This was a pressing matter that needed to be handled quickly and settled promptly.

Chen Hong's face was full of joy, and his tone was excited as he said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Grand Secretariat duty office.

The Grand Secretariat duty office, once bustling with people, now seemed rather desolate. Many desks had already been vacated, leaving only Liu Yijing and Han Kuang.

At this moment, someone walked in from outside.

"Grand Secretaries, His Majesty has just issued a decree for the Eastern Depot to arrest Minister of War Cui Jingrong and Minister of Revenue Wang Ji."

Hearing this, Han Kuang and Liu Yijing both nodded simultaneously, indicating that they understood.

They exchanged a glance, but neither voiced an opinion. On this matter, they had nothing they could say, nothing they could block.

One million taels of silver in military pay, reduced to seven hundred thousand by the time it left the capital — there was no defending that.

Now that the matter had been fully investigated, Minister of War Cui Jingrong and Minister of Revenue Wang Ji would certainly have to be dealt with. The only question was how.

But at this point, Han Kuang and Liu Yijing could no longer concern themselves with that, because the two of them were already like clay bodhisattvas crossing a river — barely able to save themselves.

"Finished writing?" Liu Yijing looked at Han Kuang and asked with a smile.

Liu Yijing was naturally referring to the resignation memorials.

At this point, the two of them had no choice but to write them as well.

In Liu Yijing's view, the two of them were doomed this time. His Majesty was dissatisfied with everyone, and so he intended to replace them all.

Han Kuang nodded — in truth, he thought the same.

Ever since the Donglin Faction case had come out, His Majesty had been dissatisfied with the court officials. When he himself had tried cases, His Majesty had also been dissatisfied with him — especially after he had protected Yuan Yingtai and Wang Huazhen.

From the very beginning, His Majesty had wanted to deal with everyone. The result was that he had blocked His Majesty, and he was bound to suffer the backlash.

From the very start of the affair, His Majesty had in fact been forcing people like them to move forward. The reopening of Fang Congzhe's case was in truth because of this. If they had yielded, perhaps none of today's troubles would have come to pass.

"Do you regret it?" Liu Yijing looked at Han Kuang with a smile and asked these three words.

Han Kuang smiled and shook his head, a hint of resignation in his tone as he said, "There's no use in speaking of such things at a time like this. Besides, what is there to regret? I merely did what needed to be done. Rather, it is you, Grand Secretary, who have been implicated from start to finish."

This statement was not a lie. In fact, from the very beginning, this matter had little to do with Liu Yijing.

It was just that Liu Yijing sat in the position of Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and there were some things he could not avoid.

Liu Yijing also smiled and shook his head, saying: "In that position, one must attend to that position's duties. Besides, I am not willing to give up. If I were willing, I would have left long ago. At the end of the day, it is still selfish desire at work."

"But I also admit that even if I have selfish motives, they are not for myself. At this point I do not mind telling you — I have always looked down on certain people. I absolutely cannot hand all these matters over to them; they would ruin this Great Ming."

"In fact, I am relieved now. Although I am leaving, they are leaving too."

Han Kuang naturally knew who Liu Yijing was talking about — he meant those people of the Donglin Faction.

Smiling bitterly and shaking his head, Han Kuang said with an expressionless face: "Could it be that the Grand Secretary thinks the same of me?"

"You, Han Yuchen, are not among them. Otherwise I would not have worked alongside you." Liu Yijing said with a smile.

"Before leaving the capital, let us find a place to have a drink. To be honest, in all these years we have never really sat down together for a proper bout of drinking. Now that we have shed our official duties, we can drink together and discuss scholarship. I have always admired your learning."

Han Kuang also smiled and said: "Naturally, I would be honored to oblige."

The routine memorials of Liu Yijing and Han Kuang were submitted directly, and with great speed.

Thus the news spread — the only two Grand Secretaries remaining in the Grand Secretariat had both submitted memorials requesting resignation. If Your Majesty approved these two memorials, it would mean the Grand Secretariat had no one left.

And so, all at once, people began submitting memorials in opposition, starting to defend Liu Yijing and Han Kuang.

It was not Cui Chengxiu and his lot who submitted those memorials — they wished nothing more than for the Grand Secretariat to be empty, so that their own people could rise up.

But there were some who could not bear to watch. How could the Grand Secretariat have no one? Besides, in their view, Liu Yijing and Han Kuang had done a fairly decent job this time.

Han Kuang especially — although he had lost the support of the Donglin Faction, he had won the support of a group of non-partisan figures.

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youxiao flipped through the memorials in his hands with an expressionless face.

That people were defending Liu Yijing and Han Kuang did not surprise Zhu Youxiao in the least. If no one had made a move, that would have been the strange thing. But then again, this was not originally any great matter.

Setting the memorial down, Zhu Youxiao spoke: "Issue an edict urging them to stay. After a few rounds of that, approve Liu Yijing's."

Zhu Youxiao could not possibly clear out the Grand Secretariat entirely — he had to leave one person behind, and after weighing the options, the only choice was Han Kuang.

Compared to Liu Yijing, Han Kuang's methods and schemes were far superior, and he was also someone who could keep an even hand. Keeping such a person had its benefits — at the very least, he could help handle some matters.

Both Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat had gone home to wait, so Zhu Youxiao could now issue his edicts. He spoke: "Promote Xu Guangqi to Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall; Sun Chengzong to Minister of War and Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall; Huang Kezuan of the Ministry of Justice to Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall."

"Let the Directorate of Ceremonial draft the edicts." After saying this, Zhu Youxiao continued to recline sideways on the couch, his face still devoid of expression.

Once this edict went down, it signified that the overall configuration of the court would be reshaped anew.

Han Kuang represented one faction, and Sun Chengzong likewise; as for Xu Guangqi, his side should also begin to exert force; Huang Kezuan appeared to be just going through the motions, but he was the representative of the neutral camp.

Although the previous round of struggle had ended, in truth a new round of contest had already begun, and new factions were forming within the court.