Chapter 36: Reform the Zhu Family Itself

Not long after, the routine memorial was brought up.

Zhu Youxiao reached out and tapped the memorial, then after a moment turned to Chen Hong and ordered, "Summon Zou Yuanbiao."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Hong acknowledged and went out to deliver the summons.

Looking at the memorial in his hand, a smile spread across Zhu Youxiao's face: "Zou Yuanbiao, let Us see whether you truly hold the world in your heart, or merely deceive the world for fame. Sometimes, words are useless—what matters is what one does."

These past few days had been a frantic mess for Zou Yuanbiao.

First, the case of framing Xiong Tingbi had consumed too much of his energy. Second, there were the matters of Gao Panlong and Yang Lian—Yang Lian and Gao Panlong had expressed differing attitudes before His Majesty, which made their relationship somewhat delicate, and even the relationships within the Donglin Faction had become subtly strained.

Before that relationship could ease, news came from within the palace that Gao Panlong had colluded with Wei Zhongxian, which was why he refused to hand Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, Zhang Xiude, and others over to the Three Judicial Offices for joint trial.

When this news came out, it was like a stone cast into a thousand waves—it instantly stirred up an uproar within the Donglin Faction and across the court.

This news directly reshaped the Donglin Faction's landscape. With many people fanning the flames behind the scenes, Gao Panlong was directly branded a traitorous minister who had linked up with Wei Zhongxian, and even within the Donglin Faction itself such rhetoric took hold.

Because Gao Panlong refused to hand Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude over for joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices, there was no way to explain it away. If he hadn't colluded with Wei Zhongxian, then why would he refuse to hand those three over to the Three Law Offices for interrogation?

In fact, Gao Panlong had proposed the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices, and moreover wanted to turn a big matter into a small one—fully in line with the Donglin Faction's interests. But the news from the palace said otherwise.

At the time, only himself and His Majesty had been present, along with His Majesty's personal attendant eunuch, Chen Hong, Eunuch Chen. Who could bear witness? Go ask His Majesty?

Go ask Eunuch Chen? Perhaps he was Wei Zhongxian's man—how could a eunuch in the palace possibly help him? Gao Panlong now had a hundred mouths and still couldn't explain himself.

Zou Yuanbiao had also met with Gao Panlong and learned the full course of events.

In Zou Yuanbiao's view, this was Wei Zhongxian's scheme.

His Majesty had wanted to hand the case to the Three Law Offices, but disliked Gao Panlong's approach of turning a big matter into a small one—instead, he wanted a strict investigation.

That was why His Majesty had not given the case to Gao Panlong but to Yang Lian instead.

This greatly displeased Wei Zhongxian, who had wanted to use the opportunity to stir up a major case.

But this was His Majesty's will, and Wei Zhongxian could hardly go argue with His Majesty, so he spread this rumor instead.

"Truly a treacherous eunuch!" After Zou Yuanbiao had figured out the whole affair, the look on his face was one of utter exasperation.

This matter couldn't be left at that—he needed to defend Gao Panlong. Otherwise, if this basin of dirty water couldn't be washed away, Gao Panlong would be finished. But rumors are notoriously difficult to wash away—it has always been so since ancient times!

Zou Yuanbiao suddenly rose to his feet, slapped his hand on the table, and said loudly, "A treacherous eunuch truly harms people without end."

Just at that moment, Zou Yuanbiao saw a man walk in through the door—it was His Majesty's personal attendant eunuch, Chen Hong.

The instant he saw Chen Hong, embarrassment immediately spread across Zou Yuanbiao's face.

That angry outburst—he never expected Chen Hong to have overheard it. Zou Yuanbiao wanted to explain, but didn't know how.

In Zou Yuanbiao's view, this whole affair had been engineered by Chen Hong colluding with Wei Zhongxian. He still believed in Gao Panlong's character.

"What business brings Eunuch here?" Zou Yuanbiao said, his face returning to a solemn expression.

Chen Hong looked at Zou Yuanbiao expressionlessly. He had naturally heard Zou Yuanbiao's cursing—there was no way he was pleased about it.

But he had come on official business and dared not delay, so he quickly said, "Master Zou, His Majesty summons you."

Having said this, Chen Hong turned and left, clearly displeased with Zou Yuanbiao and preparing to go back and stir up trouble.

Seeing this, Zou Yuanbiao felt helpless inside. This was what they meant by disaster springing from the mouth—of all times, Chen Hong had to walk in right then.

After arriving at the inner palace, Zou Yuanbiao met Zhu Youxiao. He noticed that Zhu Youxiao's health still did not seem good, so he quickly said, "Your Majesty's dragon body is unwell—you should summon the imperial physicians more often for examination!"

Zhu Youxiao said with a smile, "Minister Zou is thoughtful. But these past few days I've already improved considerably; I expect I'll be able to hold court again in a few days."

These days, Zhu Youxiao had been feigning illness—largely because he didn't want to hold morning court, and also because it was only when an emperor was gravely ill that he turned to Daoism, which gave the treacherous eunuch Wei Zhongxian his opportunity.

Though he didn't care about the reputation of being a fatuous ruler, he couldn't truly be fatuous and benighted, or he would lose the ministers who were genuinely loyal to the throne. That wouldn't do—he needed to have his reasons well prepared.

When the time came to purge the treacherous eunuch, he could then recover from his illness, suddenly learn of their misdeeds, and directly throw them in prison and have them killed. He was King Zhuang of Chu!

"Minister Zou, I have read your routine memorial these past few days." Zhu Youxiao didn't beat around the bush and said directly to Zou Yuanbiao: "In this memorial, you greatly admire Zhang Juzheng's reforms. But from what I know, you seem to have been at odds with Zhang Juzheng? You even received eighty strokes of the court cane for impeaching Zhang Juzheng's power-grabbing, and were then demoted to Guizhou."

"Your Majesty, that is indeed true. Zhang Juzheng was arrogant and unyielding, monopolizing power and meddling in governance, extravagant beyond measure, and when his father died he did not observe mourning—truly an unfilial act. But flaws cannot obscure virtues; Zhang Juzheng's reforms filled the Great Ming's treasuries, and he rendered merit to the state." Zou Yuanbiao said with an air of impartiality: "Therefore, your minister believes that Zhang Juzheng should be posthumously rehabilitated and given justice."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and let out a light sigh: "Nowadays the state's finances are strained, and the court has few solutions. Since you so admire Zhang Juzheng's new laws, what is your view on reform?"

"To answer Your Majesty, the Great Ming has reached a point where without reform, it cannot be strengthened." Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, Zou Yuanbiao was overjoyed and quickly spoke up.

He had always been in favor of reform. Now that His Majesty was asking thus, Zou Yuanbiao naturally grew excited and promptly began expounding his views: "Your minister believes that if reform is to succeed, those above must set an example for those below."

"Your Majesty should set the standard for the world and be the first to act—without this, reform cannot succeed. The palace should practice frugality and prohibit extravagance, which can serve as a warning to the world."

Watching Zou Yuanbiao speak with such eloquence, Zhu Youxiao kept a smile on his face, but in his heart he was already cursing MMP—this is reform? You're reforming me!

Never mind what comes of the reform later—if I were fooled by your spiel, wouldn't I have to listen to you in everything I do?

Is this reform?

What you want is to make the emperor obedient!

There was no way Zhu Youxiao could be pleased about that.

Zou Yuanbiao went on at length afterward, essentially all of it requesting that Zhu Youxiao set the example.

In plain terms, it was very simple—they wanted Zhu Youxiao to set the precedent first, to have reform begin with the imperial house, to begin with Zhu Youxiao himself.