Chapter 267: Princes of the Blood Are a Great Calamity to the Realm

After hearing Zhu Youxiao's decision, the four Grand Secretaries wore very different expressions.

Among them, Han Kuang was the happiest, while the other three showed no sign of pleasure at all—clearly, they did not like this choice.

But Zhu Youxiao did not care whether they liked it or not; he was determined to make this decision.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Sun Chengzong stepped forward and said in a low, measured tone: "Your Majesty, Feng Congwu is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. The students of the Imperial Academy will also sit for the imperial examinations next year, and this is likely to stir up criticism. Might Your Majesty consider this more carefully?"

Glancing at Sun Chengzong, Zhu Youxiao did not suspect him of any ulterior motives. Even if he had some, it would not matter—that was only natural. Which official at court had no personal motives?

Zhu Youxiao simply did not care.

Zhu Youxiao raised a finger and tapped it against the armrest of his chair, then said with a casual smile: "Even so, so what?"

In truth, Zhu Youxiao's meaning was clear—he intended to prop up Feng Congwu.

That was what he thought, and that was what he planned to do. As for the criticism it would provoke, he did not care in the least.

Not only did he not care—he actually wanted to use such criticism to tell the scholars of the realm: if you want to be an official, then obediently study what I want you to study, obediently go to the Imperial Academy, rather than spouting nonsense and setting up your own factions out there.

The most typical example: back when Emperor Wu of Han elevated Confucianism alone, where were the followers of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi?

Choosing one side necessarily means abandoning the other. Fence-sitters never get a good outcome.

Especially in matters of state policy—once something is deemed correct and formulated, it must be implemented as quickly as possible and carried through to the end. Reversing course from one morning to the next is the worst possible approach. If you refuse to implement a policy out of fear of criticism, then what meaning does the policy have at all?

Sun Chengzong was taken aback when he heard Zhu Youxiao's words.

He had not expected His Majesty to speak this way, but he understood the Emperor's meaning in an instant—this was an either-or proposition. You either chose to listen to me, or you could forget about being an official.

Were there many people in this realm with moral backbone?

The answer was: many.

But what about the majority?

The majority studied only to become officials. Though they paid lip service to benevolence, righteousness, and ideals of family and country, what they truly thought about was how to become officials—and how to make their positions bigger.

Zhu Youxiao clearly had no intention of continuing the discussion. He stood up, waved his hand, and said: "Alright, that's enough. This matter is settled. You may withdraw."

None of the four dared to dawdle. They hastily bowed and said: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Since a decision had already been made, they naturally would not oppose it strenuously.

As for whether they might look for other reasons to object—Zhu Youxiao did not care about that in the slightest.

After Han Kuang and the other three had left, Zhu Youxiao also departed, heading back to Empress Zhang's side.

It was almost afternoon, and the weather was turning cold. Staying by the lake was not a good choice.

The matter did not spread, and the Grand Secretaries did not leak the news either. The reason was simple: it was not yet time.

If a stir were raised now, His Majesty would certainly be displeased. Better to wait a while—or perhaps wait until after the New Year.

On the morning of that day, the sun rose in the east, bringing some warmth to the capital that had been cold all night.

Many people began to move about the streets, and vendors started hawking their wares. The entire capital slowly awakened in the faintly warm morning light.

At the capital's city gate, a procession had already arrived.

Everyone who saw their approach hurried out of the way.

Because these people flew the banner of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and no one dared to offend the Directorate of Ceremonial in this place.

Quite a few people watched curiously from a distance—the Directorate of Ceremonial rarely traveled abroad, and never with such fanfare.

Who could this be, returning with such ostentation after leaving the city?

Many did not understand.

Of course, there were also those with good information networks who knew that the Directorate of Ceremonial personnel who had recently left the capital had all gone to Henan.

The matter of the Prince of Fu had also spread throughout the capital, and clearly this was the Prince of Fu entering the city.

Sure enough, before long, the crowd spotted the Prince of Fu's carriage behind the Directorate of Ceremonial procession.

However, compared to what everyone had imagined, this procession was considerably smaller, and it had none of the air of a princely household—on the contrary, it looked quite dejected.

In fact, those in the know understood that now that the Prince of Fu had entered the capital, leaving again would be difficult.

The affairs of Henan Province now appeared to have come to a close. The Prince of Fu had been stripped of his title, and his family property had been confiscated.

Seeing this, people had different opinions, but the mainstream view was still that His Majesty had done the right thing.

Civil officials held no fondness for the princes of the blood, because princes across the realm were frantically annexing land.

This annoyed the civil officials greatly, and the reason was simple—not because they thought the princes were wrong to do so, or that it harmed the nation's interests, but because this was originally something they themselves should have been doing.

But with the princes around, the land annexation had been done by them instead.

The benefits that should have fallen into their own pockets had now fallen into the princes' hands—how could the civil officials possibly be happy about that?

Many people with keen insight even felt that the Prince of Fu's entry into the capital was a sign that the Emperor was about to rein in the princes. Everyone was watching the Prince of Fu's procession.

In a place no one was watching, Chen Qiyu sat inside a carriage, gently lifting the curtain.

Gazing at the capital's city gate before him, Chen Qiyu let out a deeply moved sigh.

The last time he had come to the capital was for the imperial examinations. Thinking back to how he had looked when he passed, and then looking at himself now, Chen Qiyu actually felt a sense that things had changed while people remained the same.

But things were improving, which cheered Chen Qiyu considerably.

The procession quickly entered the capital, and the Prince of Fu was reluctantly arranged into the Court of the Imperial Clan. Once the Prince of Fu went in this time, no one knew when he would come out again.

As for the Prince of Fu's family members, they were all settled in an orderly fashion.

After all this was done, Wang An returned to the palace to report.

As for Chen Qiyu, he had naturally been arranged early on into a courier station. He was merely a county magistrate of the fifth rank, junior grade—in a place like the capital, he really did not rank highly.

Chen Qiyu was not anxious either; he waited quietly. Since His Majesty had told him to keep still, there must be some arrangement coming.

In the Western Park.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Wang An and gently waved his hand, saying: "Alright, no need for formalities."

After Wang An stood up, Zhu Youxiao continued with a smile: "You handled the Henan business quite well this time."

"This servant merely did his duty." Wang An hastily bowed and said.

His Majesty did not like him—of this, Wang An was well aware. His attitude toward him had never been this amicable before.

This time, however, the assignment had improved His Majesty's impression of him considerably, which allowed Wang An to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Where has Chen Qiyu been arranged to stay?" Zhu Youxiao asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, he has been arranged at the postal station," Wang An said hurriedly.

"Arrange for him to enter the palace tomorrow." Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment, then instructed: "As for Prince Fu, we'll wait a few more days before speaking of it. When the time comes, I will meet with him."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang An promptly agreed once again.

"Henan is far away across mountains and rivers—you must be weary after traveling so long. Go back and rest." As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, signaling Wang An to withdraw.

After Wang An had left, Zhu Youxiao also let out a sigh of relief.

Prince Fu had finally arrived in the capital, which meant that all matters had finally settled. Before Prince Fu entered the capital, he truly had not been able to set his mind at ease.

With nothing else to attend to afterward, Zhu Youxiao returned to rest.

During this period, Zhu Youxiao's mind was not on state affairs, but on producing an heir.

Having Empress Zhang bear him a son—this was of great importance, and so Zhu Youxiao invested considerable energy into it.

After all, for an Emperor, having a son and not having a son were two entirely different matters.

With a son, it meant you had an heir to carry on your line, and the court would be considerably more stable; but if you had no son, nothing might happen in the short term, yet given enough time, things would not remain so certain.

At the postal station.

Chen Qiyu had also received word that His Majesty would see him tomorrow morning.

To be honest, this was somewhat beyond Chen Qiyu's expectations.

Originally, Chen Qiyu had assumed that after arriving in the capital, the court would give him some form of acknowledgment—most likely a reward—and that would be the end of it.

Such as assigning him to an official post in the provinces, or arranging him into one of the various government offices in the capital.

But he had never expected His Majesty to personally meet with him, which made Chen Qiyu somewhat uneasy. He did not know what His Majesty intended to do with him—had his actions offended His Majesty? Or had they pleased him?

Still, regarding His Majesty's wish to see him, Chen Qiyu was quite pleased.

After all, over this long period, he had come to believe that His Majesty was an Emperor of great boldness and resolve. Such a sovereign, one capable of revitalizing the Great Ming, was someone he very much wished to meet.

He tossed and turned all night. Early the next morning, while the sky was still dark, Chen Qiyu rose early.

After washing up properly and changing into his official robes, Chen Qiyu set out toward the Western Park in the morning light.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Western Park, Chen Qiyu discovered that Wang An was already there waiting for him, which put his mind somewhat at ease.

To be honest, Chen Qiyu knew a few people in the capital, but within the palace, he knew only Wang An.

Previously, when he had been in Henan province, the two had chatted and gotten along quite well, and could be considered fairly familiar with each other.

Chen Qiyu held a very good impression of Wang An—this was a eunuch of learning, and at the same time a eunuch with a sense of justice in his heart. Such a person was someone he was willing to cultivate a closer connection with.

When the two met, Chen Qiyu promptly said: "I am much obliged to Eunuch Wang for waiting here."

"Lord Chen need not stand on ceremony—this is merely this servant's duty." Wang An said with a smile as well.

In fact, Wang An's impression of Chen Qiyu was also quite good.

At first, when he had learned that it was Chen Qiyu who had submitted the secret memorial, Wang An had harbored some resentment in his heart.

But after talking with him, Wang An discovered that Chen Qiyu's learning was quite impressive, that he had righteousness in his heart, that he was deeply disgusted by the decadent and corrupt practices of the Great Ming officialdom, and that he was an official who dared to think and dared to act.

This made Wang An feel that Chen Qiyu was quite admirable, and he was willing to grow close to him.

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, Wang An led Chen Qiyu inside.

As they walked, Wang An said to Chen Qiyu: "His Majesty is in a fairly good mood. Mind your measure when you speak."

The meaning was obvious—His Majesty was in a good mood right now, so whatever you do, don't spoil it.

In truth, although he thought well of Chen Qiyu, Wang An still harbored some worry in his heart.

That secret memorial this man had submitted—it had truly shaken heaven and earth, practically turning Henan province upside down.

Clearly, this was a bold man who dared to speak his mind.

"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch." Chen Qiyu said with a smile, but in his heart, he was not particularly concerned.

In Chen Qiyu's view, the current Emperor possessed magnanimity and great boldness—how could he become angry over a few words Chen Qiyu might say?

Still, Chen Qiyu quietly took note of it—there was no harm in saying less when it came to things that needn't give offense.

The two soon arrived at Wanshou Palace, and Wang An led Chen Qiyu inside.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao was seated upon the dragon throne.

This was his first time seeing Chen Qiyu.

Chen Qiyu appeared to be around thirty years of age, with regular features and a dignified bearing, a lean figure, and bright, piercing eyes—one could tell at a glance that he was a man of resolve.

"Your subject Chen Qiyu pays respects to Your Majesty." Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, Chen Qiyu promptly and respectfully performed the ritual of obeisance.

"Enough, no need for ceremony." Zhu Youxiao said directly.

After Chen Qiyu straightened himself, Zhu Youxiao continued: "I have long heard of your reputation. Seeing you today, you are indeed a man of striking appearance. The matter in Henan was handled well."

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for the praise." Chen Qiyu said promptly.

This was to be the last of the praise Zhu Youxiao would give Chen Qiyu. Regarding the Henan matter, it would end here—Zhu Youxiao would not discuss it with him in detail. However, there was still one matter that needed to be addressed.

So Zhu Youxiao said: "I have but recently ascended the throne, and having grown up deep within the palace, I am not very familiar with the outside world. Though I am deeply aware of the people's suffering, I have never witnessed it with my own eyes."

"You have served as an official in Henan for so many years, and you submitted a secret memorial impeaching Prince Fu. Though I sent people to investigate, the picture remains somewhat general. I wish to know how the common people of Henan are faring—tell me."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Qiyu promptly acknowledged.

He had not expected His Majesty to be so concerned with the suffering of Henan's common people, and he was deeply moved. At the same time, he knew he had not misjudged—the current Emperor indeed possessed great magnanimity and boldness, and also a compassionate heart.

Such a sovereign was exactly what the people of the realm most hoped for, and exactly what officials like himself most hoped for.

So Chen Qiyu opened the floodgates and recounted the suffering of Henan's common people: how those without land could not survive; how during times of natural disaster and man-made calamity, the people were utterly miserable, and how they went without food.

Zhu Youxiao listened with rapt attention, his expression growing increasingly grave, and the compassion in his eyes growing ever greater.

When Chen Qiyu finished, Zhu Youxiao said in a low, heavy tone: "The people live in such hardship—this is all my fault. It is because I have not done well."

"Your Majesty must not think that way."

Chen Qiyu quickly stepped forward and consoled, "Now that Your Majesty has punished the corrupt officials of Henan, severely dealt with the Prince of Fu, and returned the lands he had seized to the common people, the lives of Henan's people are bound to improve considerably. This is all thanks to Your Majesty's grace and virtue, and the people throughout Henan will surely be grateful for Your Majesty's benevolence."

Zhu Youxiao looked at Chen Qiyu and nodded gently.

This man was decent—he knew his place and knew how to speak.

Zhu Youxiao asked, "Is there anything else?"

"If I may report to Your Majesty, there are still many feudal princes in Henan and elsewhere. Land annexation among the common folk is severe, and the people have not even a needle's point of ground to stand on. This is a great calamity for the realm." Chen Qiyu said after a moment of hesitation.

Chen Qiyu had originally not wanted to speak, but seeing how sagacious and valiant His Majesty was, he decided to voice what he had been wanting to say.