Chapter 211: An Agreement Reached

After returning to the Western Park, Zhu Youxiao's expression did not improve much.

He sat in the chair without moving for a long while, and in the end, all he could do was force a bitter smile.

He had originally thought he could at least hold things together for a while, but who would have thought even such a short time couldn't be maintained. In such a brief span, his ministers had already split into factions again.

Zhu Youxiao had actually anticipated this possibility long ago—if they had divided into factions this early, he might have been surprised, but he absolutely would not be in the state he was in now.

The reason he was in this state was that some things had exceeded Zhu Youxiao's control. Namely, the way these ministers had divided themselves into factions—or rather, the direction in which these ministers had chosen to align themselves.

In Zhu Youxiao's view, Sun Chengzong should have aligned with Han Kuang, and Xu Guangqi should have aligned with Yu Maohuai—that was his original arrangement.

Now, by doing what they did, they had completely disrupted his plans. Perhaps they had done it deliberately.

But whether they did it deliberately or genuinely on their own, Zhu Youxiao had no choice—he needed to accept this matter as it stood. Even if he wanted to mediate afterward, he would need to approach it from a different angle rather than barging in bluntly.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived." Chen Hong came to Zhu Youxiao's side and said with a bow.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Let her in."

Having said that, he rubbed his stiff face, trying to make himself appear gentler in demeanor.

Before long, Empress Zhang walked in from outside, came straight to Zhu Youxiao's side, and bent slightly as she said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Glancing at the beaming Empress Zhang, Zhu Youxiao's earlier worries vanished, and a smile appeared on his face as well.

He walked straight up to Empress Zhang, reached out and took her hand, and said with a smile, "Baozhu, have you come because something is the matter?"

Although Zhu Youxiao and Empress Zhang had a very good relationship and were quite natural with each other in private, the palace was still a place of rules after all—not everyone could do as they pleased.

Even the Emperor could not, let alone the Empress.

Under such circumstances, Empress Zhang rarely came to this side. Even if she wanted to see Zhu Youxiao, she would wait for him to come to her, or send someone to announce her wish, rather than running straight over to find him.

If she came directly to the bedchamber, that generally happened when Zhu Youxiao was unwell or had some problem, and Empress Zhang would come to personally care for him.

Or else Zhu Youxiao himself had summoned her; or there was the last possibility—Empress Zhang might have some urgent matter that required Zhu Youxiao to resolve.

Judging from the current situation, it should be the last possibility, because the first two situations did not apply.

As for her simply wanting to see him, that was basically impossible too, because last night Zhu Youxiao had spent the night at Empress Zhang's quarters.

Seeing Empress Zhang's distracted expression, Zhu Youxiao knew she had run into some difficulty, so he led her inside, asking with a smile as they walked, "Baozhu, is something troubling you?"

"To answer Your Majesty, it is a matter concerning my father." Empress Zhang snapped back to attention and said cautiously.

Then she hesitated a moment before asking, "Your Majesty, could you possibly relieve my father of his post?"

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao was taken aback, and with a hint of concern on his face, he asked, "Has something happened to the National Father? Have the people below done something to displease him? Baozhu, tell me, and I promise to punish them severely."

Empress Zhang felt somewhat helpless. She didn't know whether the Emperor before her was truly playing dumb or genuinely unaware.

Her father had been having a rough time lately. The struggles within the Imperial Household Department were fierce, and everyone had their own group of backers.

Wang An went without saying—he had brought a whole crowd of people from the palace into the Imperial Household Department. The other eunuch, Fang Zhenghua, was no pushover either.

Although nominally they were her father's subordinates, he still had to show them face, because both of these men were people from the palace.

Besides Wang An and Fang Zhenghua, there was also Zhu Tongmeng, who had come from the civil official side—he had the support of the entire civil official bloc behind him.

That alone wasn't the worst of it; the main thing was that he was in charge of the Inspectorate, so her father couldn't afford to offend him either.

Moreover, this Zhu Tongmeng, a small, dark-skinned old man with an utterly unyielding demeanor, stared at this place and that place all day long, as if he were constantly looking for faults in everyone.

Most critically, this Zhu Tongmeng kept a very tight watch on her father, making it seem as though her father had already committed some offense.

Besides Zhu Tongmeng, there was also a man named Hu Fei. Nobody knew where this person had come from—he had inexplicably established an Audit Office and had already taken over all matters involving contact with merchants, leaving her father unable to manage anything.

In her father's own words, he was now nothing but a puppet in the Imperial Household Department, having been completely stripped of real power by everyone.

Having been wronged, her father naturally came running to her, his daughter who was Empress, hoping that she could help him.

But in this matter, what say did Empress Zhang have? She couldn't very well go and directly tell them to listen to her father, could she?

That wasn't something an Empress should do, and besides, Empress Zhang herself felt that doing so would be inappropriate.

From the very beginning, Empress Zhang hadn't wanted her father to go to the Imperial Household Department—it was her father who had insisted on going.

Since he wasn't finding satisfaction in the work anyway, in Empress Zhang's view, her father might as well just go home quietly. That would be a very good choice.

As for Zhang Guoji's plight in the Imperial Household Department, Zhu Youxiao could be said to know it all perfectly well.

But why was he pretending not to know?

Because all of these things had been done on his orders by the people below—how could he let others know?

For Zhu Youxiao, Zhang Guoji was himself a puppet, and there was nothing more to say about it.

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, Empress Zhang looked at him with some reproach in her eyes, feeling deeply helpless inside.

Empress Zhang knew that the Emperor might not be entirely ignorant—rather, he knew some things but either couldn't do anything about them or didn't want to get involved.

Still, Empress Zhang had to help her father somehow, so she said softly, "Your Majesty, my father asked me to inquire—can the examinations for the Imperial Household Department begin now? After all, the department is short on personnel at the moment, and the sooner the examinations start, the sooner the vacancies can be filled."

This was the excuse Empress Zhang had come up with for her father.

In truth, her father's meaning was quite clear—he had no one to help him in the Imperial Household Department; he was truly alone. The most important reason those people had been able to strip him of power was precisely this.

So her father wanted to start the examinations as soon as possible, so that he could recruit a group of his own people. Then, with his talent, he would surely be able to deal with all of them.

As for her father's claims, Empress Zhang remained skeptical.

If the Emperor wouldn't grant her request, then she could only go along with what her father had said, hoping he could recruit some of the people he wanted—or the talents he spoke of.

Zhu Youxiao laughed inwardly.

This Zhang Guoji couldn't hold back any longer. But that was fine—the affairs of the Imperial Household Department were just about done anyway, so it was the right time to let him begin.

He just wondered whether, after this round of examinations, Zhang Guoji would still be able to remain in the Imperial Household Department.

But Zhu Youxiao wouldn't let Zhang Guoji leave either, because he was the Imperial Household Department's scapegoat.

One had to understand that the things the Imperial Household Department needed to do were highly offensive to people. Under such circumstances, they needed someone with a hard enough head to serve as the scapegoat.

The reigning Emperor's father-in-law, the Empress's own father—Zhang Guoji—was precisely such a person with a hard enough head, just like the maternal grandfather's family of the Wanli Emperor back in his day.

The key issue was that Zhang Guoji's identity was too special. Even if he committed some error, he could never be severely punished—even the ministers knew this.

How could you possibly have the Emperor kill his own father-in-law?

Or do you want the Empress to uphold justice at the expense of her own kin?

Under such circumstances, Zhang Guoji was the perfect scapegoat.

So before Zhang Guoji's utility value was exhausted, Zhu Youxiao could not possibly let him leave the Imperial Household Department.

However, the assessments really should begin. Originally, Zhu Youxiao had been hesitating over whether the Imperial Household Department or the Imperial Academy should start their examinations first.

Since the Imperial Household Department was in such a hurry, let them go first. It would be fine to let Zhang Guoji test the waters.

Thereupon, Zhu Youxiao took Empress Zhang's hand and said, "Since Baozhu has spoken thus, let it be done this way. I will immediately send Chen Hong on an errand, and this matter will be arranged right away. It will definitely be carried out as soon as possible, and there will be no further delays. Baozhu, rest assured and put your heart at ease."

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words and watching his restless hand touch her belly, Empress Zhang's face flushed slightly red.

She gently nodded, leaned her head into Zhu Youxiao's embrace, and said softly, "Your Majesty truly dotes on me. Being able to marry Your Majesty is truly a blessing cultivated by my ancestors."

Seeing that the Emperor and Empress seemed inclined to be lovey-dovey, Chen Hong hastily waved his hand and had everyone withdraw.

While Zhu Youxiao and Empress Zhang were being affectionate with each other, several people were gathering at Xu Guangqi's residence.

They were precisely the three figures of the School of Mind at court: Second Grand Secretary Xu Guangqi of the Grand Secretariat, Minister of Rites Shen Tingyun, and Vice Minister of Revenue Li Zhizao.

The three sat together, none of their expressions looking very good.

Xu Guangqi raised his head, glanced at Shen Tingyun, and said with a heavy expression, "Tell Zhenzhi about the situation!"

Zhenzhi was Li Zhizao's courtesy name. Today's meeting was below his rank, so he had not been present.

Xu Guangqi was asking Shen Tingyun to inform Li Zhizao of what had happened at the meeting, after which the three could discuss it; otherwise, there was no way to proceed.

Shen Tingyun nodded, also speaking with a heavy expression, "Alright."

After giving that assent, Shen Tingyun detailed the course of events to Li Zhizao.

After Shen Tingyun finished speaking, he sighed helplessly and said, "The matter is what it is, and the general course of events is as I've described. We truly cannot understand why it has evolved into what it is today."

Li Zhizao's expression was also none too pleasant, because this matter was not something the three of them hadn't discussed before—it had even seemed like a sure thing. They had felt certain His Majesty would lean toward their faction.

If they secured the qualification to take charge this time, it would surely cause their school of thought to soar.

But who could have expected things to turn out like this? The three of them were all in low spirits.

At this moment, Xu Guangqi, seated in the host's position, said in a subdued tone, "Today before the throne, I already sensed something was amiss. It seemed we were being targeted—and not just by one group—but I couldn't tell where exactly it was wrong."

"In fact, even now I still don't know what was wrong or what exactly happened. But dwelling on this is useless now. His Majesty gave the assignment to Huang Kezuan, which caught us completely off guard. What we do next is of utmost importance—no one knows what Huang Kezuan intends to do."

"Actually, there are already clues to follow." Shen Tingyun spoke from the side: "Whatever news has been circulating these days will tell us what he intends to do. I just wonder when he converted to following Xunzi."

When he said that last sentence, Shen Tingyun's face carried a hint of mockery.

The other two also caught on. Li Zhizao said with a dark expression, "So that's how it is. With this, everything makes sense. But there's one thing I still haven't figured out—why is Huang Kezuan so certain His Majesty would believe in Xunzi?"

"Back then, we too received His Majesty's summons, and Chen Kedao went to give lectures, which is how we attained our current positions. But how did Huang Kezuan know His Majesty would be interested in Xunzi? That's what I can't fathom no matter how I think about it. But Huang Kezuan's approach seems to be imitating us—do you think he might arrange for someone to give lectures to His Majesty?"

"Arrange for someone?" Xu Guangqi said with some sarcasm. "Huang Kezuan will go himself."

The other two exchanged glances, both saying with some disbelief, "He'll go himself? That can't be possible, right?"

"Why wouldn't it be possible?" Xu Guangqi waved his hand and said, "None of you truly understand Huang Kezuan's character. He is an extremely cautious old fox, but when it comes to taking action, he has tremendous boldness. Once he decides on something, Huang Kezuan will go straight ahead and do it without any hesitation."

"Previously in the Grand Secretariat, Huang Kezuan always kept a low profile and showed no interest in our affairs. It wasn't because he was content with that—quite the opposite. It was precisely because he wasn't content and wanted to accomplish something, but simply hadn't found the right entry point."

"Among the powerful government offices, the Ministry of Personnel is controlled by Zhou Jiamo—Huang Kezuan couldn't possibly get a hand in there; the Ministry of War belongs to Sun Chengzong, the Ministry of Revenue is mine, the Ministry of Rites is Shen Tingyun's, and the Ministry of Works is in Zhao Nanxing's hands."

"Although Huang Kezuan is a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, the only thing he holds is the Ministry of Justice. Apart from that, none of the Six Ministries gives him any room to intervene."

"Although Huang Kezuan is also a Grand Secretary, he is not particularly favored by His Majesty. In comparison, Sun Chengzong is His Majesty's teacher, I am valued by His Majesty, and Han Kuang is the Chief Grand Secretary. Huang Kezuan holds no special standing among us, so the main reason he has kept a low profile is simply that he has no other option."

"This time, Huang Kezuan saw an opportunity, and he thought of Xunzi's teachings. Though I don't know how he got His Majesty to accept it, he has indeed found the right direction. You all know Xunzi's teachings—equal emphasis on ritual and law—which happens to correspond perfectly to Huang Kezuan's Ministry of Justice. So for Huang Kezuan, this is an excellent opportunity. As long as he can pull it off, the Ministry of Justice's status will rise greatly; within the Grand Secretariat, he will also have sufficient say and become a representative of one faction."

"Under such circumstances, Huang Kezuan will go all out. The most difficult point in all of this is actually getting His Majesty to accept Xunzi's teachings. We don't know how Huang Kezuan managed that earlier, but afterward he will definitely go personally to lecture His Majesty, because that is the most critical part of the entire matter. Huang Kezuan must ensure everything is foolproof, so he will absolutely not allow the slightest mistake—he will definitely go himself."

Hearing Xu Guangqi's words, the expressions of everyone present turned serious.

No one had expected Xu Guangqi to reach such a conclusion, yet the result was exactly as Xu Guangqi had said—they all believed it, because it was correct.

"Then what should we do?" Shen Tingyun asked.

This matter was also crucial for Shen Tingyun. Originally, he had wanted to use it to expand his own faction's influence, but now Huang Kezuan had butted in, so he was certainly unhappy about it.

But whether he was happy or not didn't matter—what mattered was how to reclaim the interests that belonged to them.

Hearing Shen Tingyun's question, Li Zhizao furrowed his brow and said with some hesitation, "I'm afraid it won't be easy. His Majesty has now appointed Huang Kezuan, and it won't be simple for us to remove him—His Majesty won't change his decisions from one day to the next. The only point we can attack is to make His Majesty distrust Xunzi's teachings."

After saying this, Li Zhizao raised his head and looked at Xu Guangqi—this matter still required him to think of a solution.

But Xu Guangqi showed no reaction, merely pondering in silence.

After a long while, Xu Guangqi finally raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the faces of Shen Tingyun and the other, and said slowly, "I think we shouldn't do anything. Although we have reached our current positions, the world today is still the world of the School of Principle. You all know the academies in various places, and you all know the backgrounds of officials in various regions. If we start fighting with Huang Kezuan now, the ones who will be pleased are them, and it will also make His Majesty dissatisfied with us."

"Because when His Majesty employed us, weren't we also unknown and obscure? Weren't we also excluded by the court? If we now exclude Huang Kezuan, how are we any different from those who came before us? How would His Majesty view us then? So we cannot do anything."

Shen Tingyun nodded from the side and said, "Perhaps we can work together with Huang Kezuan. Originally, I had some concerns—if I were to do this alone, I might become the target of everyone's criticism."

"I'm not afraid in my heart; I'm just worried the matter might not succeed, and then all our efforts would be wasted. But now with Huang Kezuan, he can shield us at the front. Compared to us, he's more conspicuous."

Li Zhizao also nodded and agreed, saying, "That's the logic of it."

Xu Guangqi made the final determination, saying directly, "So we don't need to do anything. Not only must we do nothing, we should instead support Huang Kezuan. In this way, His Majesty will see us as loyal and devoted to the state, while also letting Huang Kezuan bear the risks for us."

At this moment, the three reached a common conclusion, having aligned on the same direction.

"Then let's handle it this way." Shen Tingyun nodded and said, "Tomorrow we'll go see Huang Kezuan. The entire Ministry of Rites will cooperate fully with him. I believe there will soon be a result—one that is favorable to us."

At the same time these three reached their agreement, Huang Kezuan was at home conversing with his son Huang Yongji.

Huang Yongji looked at his father with some worry and asked anxiously, "Father, isn't this approach too risky? I'm afraid not many people will support you by then—if so, problems may arise."

Huang Kezuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "You're overthinking it. The human heart in this world is treacherous. Your father has served as an official for many years and knows deeply that hearts in officialdom are even more treacherous—there have never been any true friends or supporters. Only when there is benefit at stake will they follow you; otherwise, who would?"

"Even if one sits in the position of Chief Grand Secretary, so what? While you're in office, naturally everyone respects you. But once you're out of office, it's 'when the person leaves, the tea grows cold.' Do you really think they respect you?"

"No, they only respect your official hat—and at the same time, they respect themselves. Because to survive in officialdom, only when you respect others' official hats will they respect yours. This is the unchanging principle of the official world."

"As long as your father nails down this matter of Xunzi this time, people will immediately follow suit. They're not following me—they're following the benefits within it. If a new school of thought emerges, whoever seizes it first will become the earliest voice of that school and will be able to obtain greater benefits."

"In officialdom, there are many who dare to take risks—some will even risk their lives for power. You need to understand one thing: making money in this world is addictive. You see many people whose money they could never spend in a lifetime—even if passed down to their prodigal descendants, who could roll around in it and still not spend it all—yet they still desperately keep making money. Why? Do you think it's for the money? No, it isn't. What they want is just the thrill of making money."

"Being an official is the same—being an official is also addictive, and this addiction hits even faster than making money. So every day, all sorts of people come and go in officialdom, always thinking about climbing higher. Today they're a seventh-rank official and find it too small, so they want to trade up to fifth-rank; tomorrow they're fifth-rank and find it too small too, so they want to trade up to third-rank."

Huang Yongji hesitated for a moment, then looked at his old father and asked, "Then is there really no one in this world who devotes themselves wholeheartedly to the country and the people?"

"There are," Huang Kezuan nodded and said, "but how many are there? The Great Ming has one Hai Rui, and perhaps there are others, but not many. Yet in officialdom, how many officials are there like the ones your father spoke of, who are addicted to office?"

Before Huang Kezuan could continue, Huang Yongji spoke up first, saying, "As numerous as the sands of the Yellow River."

"So your father has never worried about lacking supporters. There will be people who follow your father, and at the same time there will be those who oppose him. You must remember, my son, that if no one opposes you in officialdom, then you are in danger — His Majesty will not let you hold high office."

"Is it because of balance?" Huang Yongji asked.

"Yes and no. A man with no enemies — how would His Majesty deal with him in the future?" Huang Kezuan said this, then gave a self-deprecating smile.

Seeing his son's expression of half-understanding, Huang Kezuan shook his head and continued, "You need not concern yourself with such matters. How are your studies coming along?"

"In answer to my father, your son has been working diligently all along." Huang Yongji said, "Your son is not only reading Xunzi, but also the works of Han Feizi and the Legalist school."

Hearing his son's words, Huang Kezuan nodded with satisfaction and said, "That is best then. In a few days I will arrange for you to enter the Imperial Academy. When that time comes, if we father and son work with one heart, this Great Ming will surely have a place for us. Perhaps by then, Han Kuang will no longer be able to continue as Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat."

Huang Yongji fell somewhat silent — perhaps what his father spoke of was himself.