Chapter 62: The Loyal Minister

After Chongzhen had finished discussing with the several Grand Secretaries — or rather, after Chongzhen had unilaterally decided to summon Xu Guangqi to the capital — he remembered another matter.

The last time the Jianzhou barbarians had besieged the capital, Chongzhen had declared publicly from the city wall that he would compile a register of Han traitors, and Fan Wencheng would certainly be listed upon it.

It was just that it had not yet actually been carried out, so Chongzhen now recalled this matter again.

To contrast the Han traitors, one needed to use the loyal martyrs who had died for the nation to disgust them.

After thinking it over, Chongzhen could only remember one official named Ni Yuanlu who had gone to his death for the nation; among his remaining limited memories, the rest were mostly those water-cool opportunists.

Chongzhen thought for a moment, then opened his mouth and asked, "What sort of man is this Ni Yuanlu?"

Wen Tiren, as the current Chief Grand Secretary, might have had his faults, but the dossiers on every official were clearly memorized in his head.

He immediately reported, "In reply to Your Majesty, Ni Yuanlu was originally a jinshi of the second year of Tianqi, later changed to a Hanlin bachelor, and was appointed a Hanlin compiler.

He has just finished presiding over the Jiangxi provincial examinations and is now present in the capital."

After a slight pause, Wen Tiren added, "It is only that this man has a rigid and unbending nature. During the late Emperor's reign, he repeatedly clashed with Eunuch Wei and has always been disliked by Eunuch Wei."

Chongzhen, hearing this, gave an "Mm," and then ordered the Grand Secretaries to withdraw. Afterwards, he summoned Wei Zhongxian and asked, "What is the story with Ni Yuanlu? Tell Us."

Wei Zhongxian could not fathom Chongzhen's thoughts, and he dared not embellish or slander Ni Yuanlu, so he simply reported truthfully, "In reply to His Majesty, this slave and that Ni Yuanlu have had many disagreements.

That man is a block of stone — his office is not high, but his temper is considerable.

It is only that this man's heart leans considerably toward the Donglin evil faction. However, he is normally loyal in his duties to the state and has no real record of misconduct."

Chongzhen, however, sneered, "No record of misconduct? Who gave you the nerve? If there were any misconduct, would you, Eunuch Wei, not have long since found a way to have him killed?"

These words so frightened Wei Zhongxian that he hurriedly fell to his knees and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty sees all clearly, this slave deserves death! This slave is utterly loyal to Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty's mercy!"

Chongzhen, however, said, "Get up. What you old thing are thinking — do you truly believe We are not clear on it in Our heart? In the future, there is no need to put on these pointless displays. Since Ni Yuanlu has no problems, send someone to pass the word: We wish to see him."

By the time the utterly baffled Ni Yuanlu entered the palace, he saw Chongzhen in the imperial study reviewing memorials. Besides the ever-present Wang Cheng'en and Fang Zhenghua, Wei Zhongxian was also present.

After he had finished paying his respects to Chongzhen, Ni Yuanlu saw Wei Zhongxian give him an ingratiating smile, and immediately turned his head away, paying him no further attention, which caused Wei Zhongxian a great loss of face.

Chongzhen laughed inwardly. Just like that — if you lot were all in harmony inside and out, then it would be Our turn to be miserable.

Chongzhen paid no heed to these trivial matters and said directly to Ni Yuanlu, "The reason We have summoned you, my beloved minister, to the palace this time is that there is a matter We need you to handle."

Ni Yuanlu did not hesitate and said forthrightly, "Please give your command, Your Majesty. Your minister will exhaust all his heart and strength."

Chongzhen said, "Mm. The matter is easy enough to explain. When the Jianzhou barbarians besieged the city before, my beloved minister was still in Jiangxi. But after returning, you must surely have heard people speak of it?"

Ni Yuanlu said, "In reply to Your Majesty, your minister has heard his household speak of the situation during that time. The common people all praised Your Majesty, saying you possess the spirit of the Yongle Emperor.

Your minister's heart also yearns toward it, and he regrets only that he could not then accompany his sovereign and witness Your Majesty's heroic bearing."

Chongzhen laughed. "Just a moment ago, Our companion Wei was saying that you, Ni Yuanlu, have a temper both foul and hard. Meeting you now, that does not seem entirely the case."

Unexpectedly, Ni Yuanlu, paying no mind to Wei Zhongxian's presence, shot back at Chongzhen with a single sentence: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Zhuge Wuhou once said, draw near to the gentleman and keep the petty man at a distance.

Yet now Your Majesty favors and trusts the Depot and the Guard. Your minister believes this is not the conduct of an enlightened sovereign."

Having finished, he knelt on the ground to await Chongzhen's disposition.

Only then did Chongzhen truly understand a saying from his previous life. It is not frightening when bad people do bad things; what is frightening is when good people think they are doing good things, but end up doing bad things — that is what is terrifying.

Was Ni Yuanlu a loyal minister? A man who dared to bluntly clash with Wei Zhongxian when Wei Zhongxian's hand covered the sky, a high official who died for his principles in the national calamity of the Jiashen year — who could say he was not a loyal minister?

Yet it was precisely such a loyal minister who also leaned more toward the Donglin Faction and believed that Chongzhen's heavy reliance on the Depot and the Guard was a mistake.

But could one blame him? After all, the limitations of his era meant his vision could not see that far.

Chongzhen gave a bitter smile. To kill such a high official would be a pity; not to kill him would be to invite anger upon himself. Forget it. If he were to have a loyal minister like this executed as a Donglin partisan, he would truly become a fatuous ruler.

Since he could not be killed, he would first have to explain things properly. Left with no choice, Chongzhen opened his mouth and said, "My beloved minister Ni, rise first. We also have a few words to say to you."

Only then did Ni Yuanlu rise from the floor and say, "Your Majesty, please speak. Your minister is all ears."

Chongzhen then said, "Does my beloved minister Ni know where the maladies of our Great Ming lie today?"

Ni Yuanlu immediately replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, your minister believes that the maladies of the Great Ming today are three. First, the national treasury is empty; second, the guard-battalion system is rotten; third, officials high and low are corrupt."

Chongzhen said, "Not bad. But does my beloved minister know where the root of these maladies lies?"

Ni Yuanlu said, "Your minister is dull-witted. I beg Your Majesty to instruct me."

Chongzhen sighed and said, "The root lies in the commercial tax.

In the realm today, rather than saying we emphasize agriculture, it would be better to say we harm agriculture. All kinds of surcharges are heaped upon the farming households. But what of the merchants?

Merchants do not engage in production. Although transporting goods is arduous, their gains are considerable. But where is the tax?

Merchants have large incomes yet pay no taxes. Farming households have small incomes yet face incessant taxes and surcharges. Thus the poor grow poorer and the rich grow richer.

We have heard that the Dao of Heaven diminishes the excessive and supplements the insufficient. Yet in the Great Ming today, we diminish the insufficient and offer to the excessive.

This is the Dao of man, but it does not accord with the Dao of Heaven. To act against Heaven — how can it not change?

That maladies spring up everywhere is hardly surprising."

Ni Yuanlu felt as if he had been anointed with enlightenment, his vision suddenly opening wide. Many problems he had previously been unable to think through were now completely understood.

He murmured continuously under his breath, "The Dao of Heaven, the Dao of man. The Dao of Heaven, the Dao of man."

Seeing Ni Yuanlu's expression, Chongzhen knew he must have been deeply moved, and so continued, "With Wei Zhongxian's towering and ferocious reputation, if he had truly wished to put you to death, my beloved minister, could you still be seeing Us today?

My beloved minister believes the Donglin Faction are all upright gentlemen, but did you know that these upright gentlemen, with no regard for sovereign or father, poisoned and plotted against the late Emperor?"

Previously, when Chen Renzhong and the others were arrested and executed by slow slicing, the world believed it was because those several had conspired to harm Chongzhen. The matter of the Tianqi Emperor having been murdered was kept concealed.

Now, hearing such news so abruptly, it was like a tempestuous storm to Ni Yuanlu; his entire worldview was nearly utterly destroyed.

Seeing Ni Yuanlu's bewildered expression, Chongzhen gestured for Wei Zhongxian to bring out the confessions of Chen Renzhong, Zhou Yanru, and the others and hand them to Ni Yuanlu to read.

At this, his heart and lungs nearly burst with rage.

(End of Chapter)