Chapter 14: First Meeting with the Young Emperor

The Forbidden City is divided into three sections; the first section is from the Meridian Gate to before the Huangji Gate, where the Grand Secretariat and the Six Offices officials are located.

Further in is the section from the Huangji Gate to the Gate of Heavenly Purity, where the Huangji Hall, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony are situated respectively.

Further in still are the inner palaces, such as the Qianqing Palace.

On this morning, the spring light was warm and the breeze was gentle.

The Wanli Emperor sat inside the Western Warm Pavilion, watching the birds outside the window chirping and fluttering back and forth, as a sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.

He stood up and walked to the window to gaze at the scenery outside.

He sighed, "I am the Emperor, and by rights, this world should all be mine, yet what I can truly control is only this palm-sized Forbidden City—no, even this Forbidden City does not belong to me."

"Wei Qing, tell me, what meaning is there in my being the Emperor?"

The middle-aged Eunuch to the side felt his knees go weak with fright, and he replied with a trembling voice, "Your Majesty is the master of all people; how could you not be the master of the Forbidden City?"

The Wanli Emperor stared at him and mocked, "Then why, when I want some silver, does the Grand Secretariat not permit it? When I want to leave the palace to see my vast Great Ming empire, why do my Great Companion and the Empress Dowager not permit it?"

"Wei Qing."

"This subject is here!"

"Are you a loyal subject?"

Wei Qing was stunned; he had not expected the Emperor to ask him this question, so he hurriedly said, "This subject is a loyal subject, loyal only to Your Majesty alone, and would never dare to have any ulterior motives."

"Very well, go and have Master Zhang bring me two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Ah?!"

The Wanli Emperor looked at the shocked Wei Qing, shook his head with a smile, and paced back to the table to sit down.

He picked up the memorial he had not finished reading earlier, looked at the Drafting of Rescripts again, and took up his brush to write four large characters.

"Grant as requested!"

This was the daily work of him, the Emperor.

Any Drafting of Rescripts sent up by Master Zhang, he would not change a single word, directly ordering the Eunuchs to transcribe them. Yet, it is said that in the Great Ming, the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial are, by rights, both the Emperor's secretaries.

One inside, one outside.

Memorials from all places first arrive at the Office of Transmission, then pass through the Directorate of Ceremonial to be reviewed by the Emperor; if the Emperor cannot make up his mind, he sends them to the Grand Secretariat for Drafting of Rescripts.

The Senior Grand Secretary takes up a brush and, imitating the Emperor's tone, writes down suggestions.

This is called "Drafting of Rescripts."

Once the Drafting of Rescripts is finished, it is sent back before the Emperor, and after the Emperor reads it, he takes up his brush to write his instructions, which is the "Vermilion Approval."

That is to say, the Senior Grand Secretary's Drafting of Rescripts is only a suggestion; the Vermilion Approval is the final decision-making power.

But when the Wanli Emperor began his reign, he was only ten years old; the Drafting of Rescripts was completed by Zhang Juzheng, and the Vermilion Approval was completed by Feng Bao.

The two were allies, and with the addition of Li Taihou.

One outside and two inside formed an iron triangle.

Li Taihou even said directly to her son, "Before you are thirty, don't even think about ruling personally; let him handle everything and consult Master Zhang."

If Zhang Juzheng wanted to do something, he would first have his subordinates write a memorial according to his own intentions. He himself would then imitate the Emperor's tone and write the Drafting of Rescripts according to his own intentions.

It would enter the Directorate of Ceremonial, Feng Bao would transcribe it once more, and the Emperor would stamp it with the Imperial Seal, and that would be the end of it.

"For every discussion in the Grand Secretariat, the Emperor immediately issues an edict."

At first, the young Emperor was happy to have it this way, but as he grew older, he became well-versed in history.

There were quite a few emperors in ancient times who were deposed, especially since Master Zhang had told him the Biography of Huo Guang when he was young.

Who was Huo Guang?

Aren't you Huo Guang?

Just as he was thinking this, a sharp, thin voice suddenly sounded from outside the pavilion: "Your Majesty, Imperial Study Attendant Zhang has arrived."

"Who?"

"Master Zhang's fifth son, here to be your Imperial Study Attendant."

"Oh, it's him." The Wanli Emperor recalled, waving his hand, "Let him in." "Yes." The young Eunuch responded respectfully and turned to leave; before long, he brought Zhang Yunxiu before the Western Warm Pavilion.

"Hey, little Eunuch, are we sure we can enter this place?" Zhang Yunxiu stopped his steps and pointed upward.

This was the place where the Emperor worked; without an imperial edict, one could not enter. If he overstepped his bounds, it would be no laughing matter.

The young Eunuch was clearly stunned, thinking to himself: The father is a great hero, yet the son is so cautious; alas, if only Grand Secretary Zhang could be like this boy, that would be good.

"Eunuch?"

"Ah!" The young Eunuch came back to his senses and smiled, "Imperial Study Attendant Zhang, rest assured; since His Majesty has already issued an edict to summon you, then naturally you may go anywhere."

Saying this, the two walked into the pavilion together.

Zhang Yunxiu was cautious, staring at his feet as he slowly moved forward.

On the dragon throne, Wanli saw Zhang Yunxiu wearing a green Daoist robe, his head drooping like a quail, and he burst into laughter.

Afterward, he felt he had lost his composure, so he hurriedly covered his lips and asked with a straight face, "You are Zhang Yunxiu?"

"This subject Zhang Yunxiu pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Zhang Yunxiu raised his head and bowed to the Wanli Emperor.

A fleeting glance revealed him to be about twenty years old, fair and plump, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe that was a pleasing sight.

The Wanli Emperor also turned his gaze to size up Zhang Yunxiu, seeing he was seventeen or eighteen, and felt a sense of amusement.

But as soon as he thought of his father, his mood immediately turned heavy.

After the two performed the simple rites of monarch and subject, the Wanli Emperor did not speak again.

Zhang Yunxiu felt as anxious as if a cat were scratching at his heart; he stood up and respectfully retreated to the side.

Not until a Eunuch came in to deliver a meal did the Wanli Emperor beckon, signaling for Zhang Yunxiu to eat. Zhang Yunxiu was served a bowl of lotus seed soup, and under the intense mental strain, he was extremely hungry.

Therefore, he quickly finished the bowl of lotus seed soup completely.

The Wanli Emperor glanced at Zhang Yunxiu and, as if possessed, asked, "At this time of year, what is there to eat or play with outside?"

"There are so many fun things: flying kites, walking on stilts, lion dancing, listening to storytelling, and visiting temple fairs. As for the food, there are some I can't even name, but there is certainly no shortage of it," Zhang Yunxiu replied.

At the mention of food and entertainment, the eyes of the Wanli Emperor lit up, but then they dimmed again: "Sigh, you have it so good. I can only be trapped inside this iron cage. Sometimes, I truly wish I could trade places with you all."

"Ahem." Zhang Yunxiu was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, your subject knows his crime."

"What crime do you know of?" the Wanli Emperor asked curiously.

"When the sovereign is worried, the subject is disgraced; when the sovereign is disgraced, the subject dies. Your Majesty has great worries, yet your subject cannot help you resolve them, so your subject is guilty," Zhang Yunxiu said, forcing out two tears.

"I have no worries," the Wanli Emperor waved his hand, stood up, and said, "The country is at peace, the people live and work in contentment, and I, along with Zhang Juzheng, have created such a great legacy. Future generations will naturally remember my achievements."

"Tell me, what worries do I have?"

*Pretend, pretend, keep pretending! * Zhang Yunxiu secretly slandered in his heart, then said, "The country is peaceful and prosperous, yet Your Majesty's Inner Treasury is still empty, and even the ordinary Concubine or attendant has to be stingy with expenses."

"It is not even as generous as some merchants."

"You—you are talking nonsense! When have I ever been stingy!" The Wanli Emperor's face flushed red, and he pointed to Wei Qing nearby and asked, "Wei Qing, you tell me, when I bestow rewards upon you all, am I stingy?"

"No, not stingy," Wei Qing replied.

"Since Your Majesty's Inner Treasury is well-stocked, then it is your subject who has worried in vain."

Zhang Yunxiu looked completely relaxed, but now the Wanli Emperor became anxious instead and hurriedly asked: "What method do you have to get money for me?"

"I have one. Your Majesty can simply issue an edict to have Taicang Silver transferred into the Inner Treasury."

Nonsense!

If I could issue an edict, why would I need to ask you?

If it weren't for your father, would I have to suffer such indignity?

The Wanli Emperor glared fiercely at Zhang Yunxiu and said earnestly: "Taicang Silver is the state treasury, and my Treasure Note Treasury is my private treasury; public and private cannot be confused."

"Your Majesty, are you afraid that the Ministry of Revenue will not execute it?"

"Yes," the Wanli Emperor blurted out.

"That is easy to handle. Your Majesty can directly issue a Central Edict to the Minister of Revenue, Li Youzi, to transfer another one hundred thousand taels of Taicang Silver into the Treasure Note Treasury," Zhang Yunxiu said, his courage growing.

(End of this chapter)