Chapter 251: Coercing His Majesty

At this moment, Xu Xianchun was very excited. Although he was trying his utmost to control it, he still could not conceal the agitation in his heart.

The reason was also very simple — he felt that this time he was about to be given an important post.

As a relative of the imperial family, his sources of information were fairly well-connected. Many people in the Embroidered Uniform Guard already knew that Luo Sigong had fallen out of favor.

The matter some time ago — Luo Sigong having lost the contest against the Eastern Depot — was actually not a big deal. It was hardly news that the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not outdo the Eastern Depot; that had been the case for quite some time.

The main reason was that Luo Sigong had done something before His Majesty that he should not have done.

After such news spread throughout the capital, everyone felt that Luo Sigong's time was probably at an end. Those qualified to compete naturally wanted to rise to the position, except that there had been no movement these past few days.

Being suddenly summoned to the palace, Xu Xianchun knew that this was the movement.

If he handled this matter well this time, then he would be able to rise, and would be able to replace Luo Sigong in his position. Who knew — he might even seize the chance to gain an edge over the Eastern Depot.

It was hard for Xu Xianchun not to be excited. Although he was a relative of the imperial family, his family had come from Imperial Son-in-law stock.

His grandfather had been an Imperial Son-in-law. By the time it reached his generation, he could only be counted as an ordinary relative of the imperial family. People like him were far too numerous in the Great Ming — there was simply no way for one to get ahead.

That was why Xu Xianchun was fond of practicing martial arts, wanting to win himself a station in life through such means.

At this very moment, he finally felt that his efforts had not been in vain — he was finally about to distinguish himself!

Xu Xianchun secretly swore in his heart that he absolutely had to handle this matter well today.

Zhu Youxiao did not look at Xu Xianchun. What he was thinking did not really matter.

Taking a light sip of tea, casually setting the teacup down on the table, Zhu Youxiao said, "There is a task for you to handle. It is of great importance. If you botch it, you know the consequences."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your servant will not let Your Majesty down." Xu Xianchun said hurriedly.

Giving a slight nod, Zhu Youxiao said, "Chen Hong, take him down."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Hong promptly acknowledged, walked over to Xu Xianchun's side, and said with a smile, "Master Xu, follow me."

After saying this, Chen Hong turned around and led the way.

Xu Xianchun also knew Chen Hong's standing, and promptly said, "Much obliged to Eunuch Chen."

After the two had walked some distance away, Chen Hong finally spoke: "There is a case to be investigated over at the Office of Transmission. Your task is to take some men and follow them, but you must not let them discover you."

"See whether there is anything improper in how the Office of Transmission handles the case, and note it down. If they seek help from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, remember to help them."

"What they do, how they do it — you are not to inquire. The case they are investigating, you are not to interfere with either. Understand?"

Xu Xianchun naturally knew what this was about, and nodded, saying, "Understood."

Turning his head to look at Xu Xianchun, a brilliant smile spread across Chen Hong's face as he said, "Then do it well. If you handle this task well, your future will be boundless."

Reading between the lines, Xu Xianchun promptly smiled and said, "In the future, I hope Eunuch will look after me."

"Master Xu is too polite. Do your work well and be loyal to His Majesty, and your future will naturally be boundless." Chen Hong said with a smile. "I won't see Master Xu out. May Master Xu have a smooth journey."

"Much obliged, Eunuch." Xu Xianchun also said with a smile.

As for this Chen Hong, Eunuch Chen before him, Xu Xianchun knew of him — or rather, there was no one in the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard who did not know of him.

The current Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Luo Sigong, relied on this very eunuch.

Now that Eunuch Chen had extended an olive branch to him, the implications were many indeed. Xu Xianchun could hardly not be delighted.

He walked out of the palace excitedly, his whole demeanor considerably more spirited. He knew this was his chance — a chance to soar to greatness.

Seeing Chen Hong turn back and return, Zhu Youxiao asked, "Have the instructions been passed down?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, they have been passed down." Chen Hong promptly bowed and said.

Zhu Youxiao nodded, and slowly closed his eyes.

The palace maid standing behind Zhu Youxiao gently reached out and pushed his rocking chair, setting it swaying at a slow pace.

The Grand Secretariat.

Xu Guangqi held a routine memorial in his hand as he walked quickly into the duty room.

The other three Grand Secretaries of the cabinet had already arrived.

After Xu Guangqi walked in, he sat directly in his seat, reached for the tea and took a sip, then picked up a piece of candied fruit from the side and ate it.

Seeing that the several people were all looking at him, Xu Guangqi placed a routine memorial on the table and said slowly, "This is from the County Magistrate of Luoyang. Take a look."

The several people were momentarily stunned.

A routine memorial from a County Magistrate?

This was a very rare thing.

One should know that those who usually submitted routine memorials were high-ranking officials — at the very least Provincial Administration Commissioners and Provincial Judicial Commissioners.

Local officials did not have the authority to submit routine memorials, nor did they have the qualification. If they had matters, they only needed to report them upward.

Yet this time a County Magistrate had submitted a routine memorial — in itself an unusual matter. Of course, the very fact that a County Magistrate's memorial could be received meant the matter itself carried an air of the unusual.

Thereupon Han Kuang and the other two reached out to take the memorial and quickly read through it.

"Impeaching one's own superior and Prince Fu?" After skimming through it, Sun Chengzong asked with some puzzlement.

He then turned his head to look at Xu Guangqi and asked, "Who submitted this?"

This routine memorial was written by Chen Qiyu, the County Magistrate of Luoyang, and bore his signature at the end. So what Sun Chengzong was asking was not that question, but rather who had delivered this memorial into Xu Guangqi's hands.

This had clearly not been submitted through the normal channels.

"Chen Qiyu entrusted someone to deliver it, asking me to forward it to the court." Xu Guangqi admitted it directly.

The several people nodded together. This sort of maneuver did not count as too major a matter.

As the saying goes, it is easy to be an official when one has someone at court. This did not only mean having someone to look after you while serving in office, but also being able to find someone in the court when trouble arose.

Chen Qiyu going directly to Xu Guangqi clearly indicated that there was something between them — that Chen Qiyu and Xu Guangqi knew each other.

But those present were not surprised either. Who among them did not have their own protégés and old friends?

It was only that under ordinary circumstances no one submitted routine memorials this way, because skipping levels to submit a memorial was a taboo matter. In officialdom, skipping levels was an extremely, extremely serious thing.

"How this routine memorial was submitted is not important." Han Kuang said from the side. "What is important is what is written in this routine memorial — it impeaches the Prefect of Henan and Prince Fu."

As he spoke, Han Kuang turned his head to look at Xu Guangqi and asked, "Has this Chen Qiyu also submitted a memorial to the throne?"

Xu Guangqi nodded. "This routine memorial came out together with the secret memorial."

"It's just that the secret memorial has dedicated court personnel handling its delivery, so it travels faster. It should have entered the palace by now. That's why I brought this routine memorial for you all to look at."

The several men nodded together. They naturally understood Xu Guangqi's intent. All of them were old hands at officialdom, so they naturally understood what this routine memorial represented.

On the surface, it was merely a routine memorial impeaching the Henan Prefect and the Prince of Fu. Such memorials were a dime a dozen. Every year, people at the Censorate submitted them, and provincial governors and commanders did as well.

Although the various princes held great power, impeaching them at court would most likely not result in any punishment.

But the civil officials were not afraid. The princes had no way to deal with them, so impeaching them was just impeaching them. They even dared to impeach Your Majesty, so what was a mere prince?

The difficulty in this matter lay in the timing of the choice, and the method of impeachment.

If only a secret memorial had been used, then this would have been nothing more than a confidential report. What Chen Qiyu had done, though it would earn the disgust of officials, could not be helped — after all, he had acted according to court regulations.

If only a routine memorial had been submitted, that too would have been nothing.

Whether one submitted only a secret memorial, or only a routine memorial, the method of handling it was very simple. If the court wanted to act, then it acted; if the court did not want to act, then it simply shelved the matter without a response.

But now Chen Qiyu had submitted both the routine memorial and the secret memorial together, binding this matter to the court's secret memorial system.

If the court did not handle this matter, then the secret memorial system would become a joke — this was slapping Your Majesty in the face.

The function of this routine memorial was to spread the news that Chen Qiyu had submitted a secret memorial.

If the court did handle it, then it would be letting Your Majesty make the decision. Having Your Majesty deal with the Prince of Fu — what did that represent?

It represented the court making a move against the princes. In such matters, such an action was always sensitive.

After all, the Great Ming had its famous Jingnan. Though no one brought it up, it was still a sensitive topic. One should remember that during the Zhengde era, the Prince of Ning had also rebelled.

If they provoked the local princes into rebellion, then they, the court ministers, would not only suffer a damaged reputation, but would very likely become the target of universal condemnation.

"This Chen Qiyu certainly has quite the nerve." Huang Kezuan spoke from the side.

His words received the agreement of the other three.

This Chen Qiyu was forcing the court's hand, seizing the moment when the court was promoting the secret memorial system to stir up this matter.

Once the news spread, those opposed to the secret memorial would likely attack in force. They naturally would not attack the secret memorial itself — they would only request that the court severely punish the Prince of Fu, and incidentally drag the secret memorial matter into it, while simultaneously attacking Zhao Bingzhong of the Office of Transmission. If you don't investigate, then what use are you?

The several men exchanged glances, all feeling that the matter was somewhat troublesome.

The key still lay in Your Majesty's attitude. What would Your Majesty do?

This was a very great difficulty. The expressions on the four men's faces were none too pleasant.

Why did people always stir up such matters?

After a moment of quiet deliberation, the gazes of Han Kuang and the other two fell upon Xu Guangqi's face.

This routine memorial had been brought by Xu Guangqi, so naturally he had to step forward and take responsibility. You couldn't drag everyone into the water.

Their meaning was very clear — Xu Guangqi needed to think of a solution.

"This routine memorial must be submitted eventually." Xu Guangqi said slowly.

Though he did not continue saying anything more, the other three understood — submitting the routine memorial could only mean giving it to Your Majesty. The meaning was that this matter was no longer something they could decide; it depended on Your Majesty's wishes.

Whether it was abolishing the secret memorial system, severely punishing Zhao Bingzhong, or protecting Zhao Bingzhong — none of it was something they should participate in.

But as long as a decision was made on this matter, then future matters could be handled according to this decision. That was how precedent was established.

The other three nodded and said: "That will do, then."

This matter was truly too vexing. Han Kuang and the others truly did not want to get involved in it, so they agreed with Xu Guangqi's approach.

The routine memorial was quickly delivered to the Western Park.

Within the Western Park.

Zhu Youxiao flipped through the routine memorial that had just arrived, a smile spreading across his face.

The matter was indeed exactly as he had guessed. After a glance, he handed the routine memorial to Chen Hong and said: "Send it to Zhao Bingzhong."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Hong received the routine memorial with both hands and respectfully acknowledged the order.

He was just about to leave when he remembered something else, and cautiously asked: "Should the earlier news be spread?"

"Of course it should be spread." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

Chen Hong said no more, and walked out holding the routine memorial in both hands.

Soon, Chen Hong arrived at the Office of Transmission, and went straight inside to see Zhao Bingzhong.

"Lord Zhao, His Majesty ordered this servant to deliver this routine memorial to you." As he spoke, Chen Hong handed the memorial to Zhao Bingzhong.

Reaching out to take the memorial and glance at it, Zhao Bingzhong let out a helpless sigh.

The matter was indeed exactly as His Majesty had said. Zhao Bingzhong then said: "I thank Eunuch Chen for the trouble. Please report to His Majesty that this official will surely handle the matter well."

"Rest assured, Lord Zhao. I will certainly report to His Majesty." Chen Hong smiled and acknowledged, then cupped his hands and said: "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Eunuch Chen, go slowly." Zhao Bingzhong made a gesture of invitation and said.

After leaving the Office of Transmission compound, Chen Hong walked back while speaking to a young eunuch beside him: "Go, handle the matter. Don't make any mistakes."

"Rest assured, godfather. There will certainly be no mistakes." The young eunuch acknowledged, then left the group and walked off into the distance.

After the young eunuch entered a room, he changed his clothes, and silently left the palace through a side gate.

Outside the palace gate, a carriage was already waiting for him.

After getting on the carriage, he quickly lowered the curtain, and the young eunuch said: "Let's go."

The driver did not ask where to go. He gently flicked the horsewhip, and the carriage rolled away from the palace gate over the stone-paved road.

After passing through several streets in the capital, the carriage finally stopped at the entrance of a courtyard.

The driver said softly to the person inside the carriage: "Master Chen has arrived."

As he spoke, he lifted the carriage curtain. The young eunuch climbed out from inside, looked around to see that no one was following, then directly pushed open the door and walked in.

Someone was already waiting in the courtyard. Upon seeing the young eunuch enter, the person turned and went inside to announce his arrival.

Before long, a large, stout middle-aged man walked out from within.

This was a man in his forties, with a big belly. Upon seeing the young eunuch, his face was piled with smiles.

"Mr. Chen." He spoke with a respectful tone.

The young eunuch nodded and said, "Let's talk inside."

After saying this, the young eunuch walked inside.

The fat man dared not delay and followed him in directly, while casting a meaningful glance at the people beside him.

Several people quickly found their positions and stood at attention, and some even went out to stand guard on the street.

After entering the room, the fat man said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, do you have matters to instruct us on?"

"Indeed, there are some things I need you to do." The young eunuch nodded and said directly, "The County Magistrate of Luoyang submitted a routine memorial, and also a secret memorial, impeaching the Prefect of Henan and the Prince of Fu."

Upon hearing the young eunuch's words, the fat middle-aged man immediately turned serious.

Clearly, this matter involved the struggles at court, which meant it was a major affair. He dared not show the slightest negligence, because even a hint of carelessness could cost him his life and his family's lives.

The young eunuch glanced at him and continued, "Have your people spread word that Luoyang's County Magistrate Chen Qiyu is pressuring Your Majesty. If Your Majesty does not severely punish the Prince of Fu, then the secret memorial system is nothing but a dead letter; if Your Majesty does severely punish the Prince of Fu, then he is disregarding imperial family bonds."

Hearing these words from the young eunuch, the fat man was nearly scared to tears. A very ugly smile appeared on his face as he said with a mournful expression, "Mr. Chen, how could we possibly dare to say such things?"

Even as he spoke, he hastily pulled a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and gently offered them to the young eunuch.

"Eunuch Chen, please do advise me." With that, he stuffed the banknotes into the young eunuch's hands.

Silently pocketing the banknotes, the young eunuch said, "When I tell you to do something, you do it. Why so many questions? If this matter is handled well, you won't come out the worse for it."

"But this humble one's heart has no confidence in this." The fat man continued with a mournful face.

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch smiled and said directly, "So even the famed Third Master Chang of the capital has things he fears."

"Sir jests. This is a matter that could get one's entire family executed." The fat man, Third Master Chang, said hurriedly.

The young eunuch stood up, walked over to Third Master Chang, and gently patted his chest, saying with a smile, "When I tell you to do it, you do it. Don't worry, your life won't be lost. But if you don't do it, then your life truly might be lost."

Third Master Chang wanted to cry but had no tears.

As a prominent figure in the capital, Third Master Chang didn't know how these people had come to target him, using both soft and hard tactics on him.

These people wielded great power — not only could they mobilize the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they could do many other things as well.

He had previously had people investigate privately and learned that these people's roots lay within the palace, so he dared not offend them even more.

But this matter kept growing bigger and bigger. At first, they had only asked him to spread a little news.

Though it was still spreading news now, this news was far too big. This involved Your Majesty himself. If this news got out and was traced back, he might very well lose his life.

The young eunuch looked at Third Master Chang and said with a smile, "I know you've investigated us. Given your abilities, Third Master Chang, you should have found some things and learned something about our background."

"Since you've been respectful enough, let me give you a word of advice: the waters here run far deeper than you imagine. Don't think that standing by the river means you can't drown. One wave comes over, and not even your bones will remain."

"So be obedient, do your work well. Otherwise—"

At that point, the young eunuch stopped speaking. He trusted that Third Master Chang understood his meaning.

Third Master Chang hurriedly said, "Rest assured, sir. I know what to do."

"Good that you know. And don't think about running — you can't escape. If you truly want to flee, I can tell you this: there is no place in all the world that will shelter you."

After saying this, the young eunuch tucked Third Master Chang's banknotes into his sleeve and turned to walk out.