Chapter 3: The Calamity of the Ruler

Although these eunuchs were usually very deferential before Zhu Youxiao, he knew that wherever there are people, there is intrigue. When these eunuchs fought among themselves, they were equally ruthless and merciless.

Checks and balances were very important. In this world, there was no one who did not want to deceive the Emperor — even loyal eunuchs.

Zhu Youxiao knew that he had to favor one person, to make that person a target, to suppress certain people. That person was Wang An — first, because Wang An had good character, and second, because he was a steady and composed inner court official.

The Ming dynasty system divided officials into inner and outer court. Wang An was now the seal-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, commonly referred to as the "Inner Chancellor."

At this moment, Wei Zhongxian was stunned by Zhu Youxiao's words. Madam Ke was ill? How did he not know? Besides, he knew nothing of medicine — how could he treat Madam Ke's illness?

In the span of an instant, Wei Zhongxian's heart jolted with alarm. A thought arose in his mind — one that even he found terrifying — and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. It couldn't really be what he was thinking, could it?

Cold sweat instantly covered Wei Zhongxian's body, soaking him through. How could this be? He licked his dry lips, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and raised his head: "Your Majesty, this servant is not skilled in medicine!"

"Oh?" Zhu Youxiao lifted his teacup and took a gentle sip, a flicker of curiosity passing over his face, as if he had heard something extremely amusing: "Could it be that someone dares to deceive Us?" Setting down the cup, he smiled at Wei Zhongxian.

Feeling that burning gaze upon him, Wei Zhongxian's heart was tormented. Because Madam Ke was his partner in a eunuch marriage, and even more because of the change in the Emperor's attitude.

After all, the Emperor had once held her in great esteem — visiting her in person on every festival to offer congratulations, inviting Madam Ke to dine with him. When he first ascended the throne and the heat was unbearable, he even built her a canopy and sent her ice. She could ride above all the ministers, entering and leaving the palace in a sedan chair. But now...

Wei Zhongxian's body trembled. He felt cold — cold to the marrow of his bones. His trembling grew more violent. In Wei Zhongxian's view, something major was about to happen.

People said that attending the sovereign was like attending a tiger. Wei Zhongxian had never felt it before, but at this very moment, he felt as if he had been dragged out of ice water.

After a long while, Wei Zhongxian gritted his teeth, bowed, and kowtowed: "To answer Your Majesty, although this servant is not skilled in medicine, I do have some slight knowledge of folk remedies, and I am willing to go examine the Lady of Honored Sage."

Zhu Youxiao's face remained indifferent. He waved his hand and said, as if carelessly: "Then go!"

Stepping out of the warm chamber, Wei Zhongxian was struck by the cold wind and shuddered violently. His body swayed, and he nearly pitched headfirst to the ground. His lips trembled, his body went limp, and he could barely hold his urine.

Leaning against a pillar to recover for a long while, Wei Zhongxian finally caught his breath. He understood the Emperor's words clearly — having someone who knew nothing of medicine go treat a patient, what would the result be?

Naturally, the patient would be treated straight to death! The Emperor wanted Madam Ke dead!

At this thought, Wei Zhongxian shuddered again, his whole body seized with dread.

And what about himself? Did he have any room to choose?

The answer was no. If he did not do it, then he would be the one to die; if he did do it, there were two possible outcomes — the Emperor would reward him for his service and he would rise to greatness, or he would become the scapegoat and be directly ordered by the Emperor to take his own life.

Wei Zhongxian's face shifted between light and shadow, but he knew that this matter had to be done.

After Wei Zhongxian left, Zhu Youxiao reached into a hidden compartment beneath his desk and pulled out a book to read. This was a book Zhu Youxiao had newly found.

What was Zhu Youxiao reading? The answer was simple — the Han Feizi, which he had stumbled upon by chance.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao finally understood why the First Emperor of Qin had admired Han Fei. The chapter he was reading now was called "Guarding the Inner Quarters," and it spoke of the sovereign.

Han Feizi, "Guarding the Inner Quarters," states: "The calamity of the ruler lies in trusting others. If he trusts others, then he is controlled by others."

What did this passage mean? The sovereign's misfortune lies in believing in others. If he believes in others, he comes under their control.

This passage laid bare the ruthlessness of the sovereign even more coldly — that as a ruler, you could trust no one. To support his argument, Han Fei also discussed it from several angles.

First, he spoke of ministers. Han Fei said: "Ministers have no bond of flesh and blood with their ruler; they are bound by power and cannot but serve. Therefore, ministers spy upon their ruler's heart without a moment's rest, while the ruler sits above in indolence and arrogance — this is why there are cases in the world of rulers being seized and murdered."

The meaning of this passage was simple: ministers have no kinship with the sovereign; they serve only because they are compelled by power and influence. So ministers probe the sovereign's intentions without a moment's pause, while the sovereign sits above in lazy arrogance — this is the reason why cases of rulers being seized and killed occur in the world.

Although in the Great Ming, open seizures and murders of emperors had become rare, there was no shortage of such stories behind the scenes — and this had never changed from ancient times to the present.

Besides ministers, Han Fei also discussed sons and wives. Han Fei said: "If a ruler greatly trusts his son, then treacherous ministers can exploit the son to achieve their own private ends — thus Li Dui served King Zhao of Zhao and starved the Lord Father to death. If a ruler greatly trusts his wife, then treacherous ministers can exploit the wife to achieve their own private ends — thus You Shi served Li Ji, killed Crown Prince Shensheng, and installed Xiqi. If even a wife's closeness and a son's kinship cannot be trusted, then there is no one else who can be trusted."

If a ruler greatly trusts his son, treacherous ministers can use the son to fulfill their own selfish aims — thus Li Dui assisted King Zhao and ultimately starved the Lord Father to death; if a ruler greatly trusts his wife, treacherous ministers can use the wife to fulfill their own selfish aims — thus You Shi helped Li Ji kill Crown Prince Shensheng and install Xiqi instead. If even those as close as a wife and son cannot be trusted, then there is no one left who can be trusted.

Reading this passage, Zhu Youxiao first applied it to the Donglin Faction — they won the sovereign's trust with grand rhetoric, thereby achieving their own ends.

If they fell out of favor with the sovereign, they would seek out the heir apparent. These people could essentially be defined as the treacherous ministers Han Fei spoke of.

"Several thousand years of great wisdom!" Zhu Youxiao picked up the "Guarding the Inner Quarters" chapter again and sighed: "Truly, the wisdom of our ancestors is boundless. This chapter does give one a feeling of sudden enlightenment — though it is quite at odds with Confucian rites and teachings. The art of the sovereign!"

If an emperor were educated on the Legalist Han Feizi, he would hardly be easily beguiled by the Confucians, would he? The emperors of the Great Ming had all been fooled into idiocy.

After a while, Zhu Youxiao set down the Han Feizi, took a sip from his teacup, then stood and stretched his limbs before speaking: "Chen Hong!"

"This servant is here." Chen Hong, waiting outside the door, was just wondering why Wei Zhongxian seemed to have aged by more than a decade when he left.